Eagle’s Eye

Eagle’s Eye ___________________________________ Amy Jain Interview by Claire Mast Photos by Arm MuadthongInterview by Claire Mast Photos by Arm Muadthong

Everyone has a passion. Something they would like to change, start, or invent. But not everyone has the determination, patience, initiative, leadership skills, and organization to actually go out there and make it happen while juggling high school duties nonetheless! I wanted to talk with Amy Jain, to find out what it takes to turn passion into a reality. She is involved in many extracurricular activities, but maybe most notably, being the founder of one of the fastest-growing, and most inspiring clubs at ICS: Fifty Squared.

Can you give us a brief introduction about yourself? Yeah, of course! So, I’m Amy, a current Senior at ICS, and I have been studying here for 12 years now. I really enjoy getting involved in the community - whether it’s through activism, club events, or community service - UGH! It’s just so cool to see that the action you take actually makes a difference.

What is the biggest thing going on in your life right now? Ooo! Everything feels big, since it’s our last year, you know? If I had to say one thing, though, it would probably be the APES test tomorrow, because I haven’t started studying for it yet. Oops.

What are some things you like to do in your free time? I already know this is going to sound nerdy, but hear me out first—reading philosophy is actually really underrated! And I promise you if you try, Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations you won’t not fall in love.

What is one quote you live by? “Let not thy winged days be spent in vain.”

Tell us a little about Fifty Squared, starting clubs, etc. I don’t think I had thought of how far the horizons of our little HS club would be expanded to when we came back inspired from a ServICE Youth Conference, and wanted to start a gender equality club. Thankfully, we’ve had the help of some amazing core

team members - shoutouts to Aree, Oak, Claire, & Jasmine for being there since day 1—to keep pushing Fifty Squared to where it is today. And now that we’re international it feels unreal—5 branches around the world are a part of our little family! We base ourselves on action-oriented and sustainable results, so whether that be in the form of speaker series to educate our communities, fundraisers and period product drives to raise awareness for otherwise taboo topics, field trips to local organizations, and other similar activities.

I think what Amy has done can truly be replicated by any student determined and inspired enough to try. To all the new clubs starting at ICS, she would like to say, “We’re actually really lucky in that our school system is so supportive of us pursuing new ideas. If you think you’ve got an interesting idea, soundboard it off one of your teachers, and try to turn your ideas into a reality!”