There is a lot that ɳ University chemistry majors Mysu Pham ’27 and Ryley Jackson ’27 have in common, but their biggest connection is a passion for community service.
“I see myself doing community service my entire life. I feel like it is part of who I am at this point. It is what I would choose to spend my time doing,” said Jackson.
“I got involved in community service in sixth grade when I moved to the U.S. from Vietnam,” echoed Pham. “It’s always something that’s been part of my life.”
A desire to integrate community service with their educational journey led them to join the university’s Circle K Club. Affiliated with , Circle K provides service and leadership opportunities at colleges and universities across the world. It has had a presence at ɳ for over 30 years.
Circle K is one of nearly 100 clubs and organizations that provide students with service opportunities, activities, and the chance to connect with like-minded people around a cause, profession, or life passion. They also provide students with experiential learning and leadership experiences that enhance what is provided in the classroom environment.
Pham, the club’s president, has benefitted from skills and leadership training through both Circle K and her involvement with its ɳ Northwest District, comprised of 10 clubs on campuses in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
“The district provides a variety of workshops. Some people do a writing workshop, an interview practice workshop or a public speaking workshop,” Pham said. “If it wasn’t for Circle K, I wouldn’t be able to get this experience. It’s things like this that really help build my skills up.”
Clubs and organizations are as much a part of the ɳ experience as its academic offerings. They include educational affinity clubs, multicultural and religious organizations, Greek societies and service groups such as Circle K.
Leadership opportunities are also provided through co-curricular student-led performance ensembles in ʲھ’s music, dance and theatre departments, and through organizations such as Media Arts Production Services (MAPS), where media arts majors provide video, photo and graphic design services inside and outside the campus community.
ʲھ’s Undergraduate Student Senate and Professional Student Senate are part of the university’s official governance structure, building leadership skills and providing the opportunity to directly impact the educational experience for themselves and their peers.
ʲھ’s largest student organization, Nā Haumāna O Hawaiʻi (NHOH), boasts well over 100 members and produces the university’s annual Lūʻau & Hōʻike, a nationally renowned celebration of Polynesian cultures. The entire production, from music to dinner to ancillary events such as the Country Store, is completely run by students, providing another level of leadership opportunities.
Likewise, ʲھ’s fastest-growing student group, the Indigenous Student Alliance, debuted an annual university-sponsored, student-run powwow in 2024.
Morgan Knapp, the program manager for applied and experiential learning for ʲھ’s McCall Center for Civic Engagement, credits her involvement with Circle K in college as the single biggest contributor to her current career path. She is pleased to see ɳ students capitalizing on the opportunities that it and other clubs provide to both undergraduate and graduate students, especially with ʲھ’s emphasis on civic engagement as a core graduation requirement.
“When students take ownership of their service, in the context of a service-oriented club or organization, they reach a new level of impact, both on the issues that they care about, and in their personal development and sense of self-efficacy,” Knapp said. “Clubs and student organizations also offer opportunities for incoming students to see their peers prioritizing service and modeling the ways that this work ‘fills their cup.’”
Immediately upon joining Circle K, both Pham and Jackson took on positions with the club’s board, helping breathe new life into a club that had struggled to maintain regular membership since the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, ʲھ’s Circle K boasts 20 dues-paying members with many more students participating in the club’s service projects.
Jackson, the club’s secretary, adds that involvement with a club like Circle K creates opportunities for partnership and fellowship that students can’t often find on their own.
“We interact with the SEA Club (Students for Environmental Action) and we’ve been partnering with them for tree plantings, which are super fun,” Jackson said. “We get to interact with other clubs and meet other people. It gives us access to more things because we have a larger group of people. A club gives you a lot more opportunities than you would have by yourself.”
Circle K hosts several service projects and partners with other organizations for others. In Spring 2024, Circle K celebrated Teachers Appreciation Week, providing hand-written cards with flowers and candy to every ɳ undergraduate professor to thank them for their support of undergraduate students. The club also assists the with several of its service projects.
The club itself has earned ɳ some regional notoriety. At Circle K’s February 2025 , ʲھ’s chapter received 10 awards, including the Richard “Dick” Rust Outstanding Club Achievement Award for the region’s most outstanding club. Pham was recognized as the region’s top president, while Jackson was honored as the top secretary. Jackson also received the Governor’s Cup, honoring an individual who has been an invaluable asset to the region’s current governor.
Leadership at the club level has translated to additional opportunities for Pham and Jackson at the district level. Pham currently serves as district treasurer and will become district secretary for 2025-26. Jackson is the lieutenant governor for Oregon’s clubs and is preparing to become district governor.
It’s another example of experiential learning that ɳ students receive inside and outside of the classroom.
“With any club, but particularly with Circle K, leadership is a huge aspect,” Jackson said. “I can’t imagine having that same experience in the classroom setting.”