Meet the Master of Multitasking: A Profile Over Whitaker McManus
By Megan Viso
High school is an exhausting, time-consuming, and just plain crazy four years of life that most people go through. Balancing school, homework, a good social life, family, etc. takes a toll on many students, however, Jenks senior, Whitaker McManus, has persevered. In the hustle and bustle of high school life, McManus has been a prominent example in the Jenks community of what it means to excel academically while spearheading numerous clubs here at Jenks.
“I knew as a senior, I wanted to do more. I already had so many great years, so I wanted to pass that on; go big or go home right?” said McManus.
In past years, McManus had been an officer in most of his clubs, but this year he strived to do even more. He is an active member and participates in nine different clubs at Jenks; he has even taken a large leadership role in almost half of them. Academic Team, Thespians, ISP, and Science Olympiad are the clubs that he is helping lead this year, as both Vice President and Varsity Captain, all of which take many hours of outside preparation and work. Pre-Med, Equality Alliance, Math Club, Science National Honor Society, and Mock Trial are the clubs in which he is a “normal” member, however, he still manages to stay very involved in each one, despite his very busy schedule.
“It’s a hard reality to hear, but school is your greater responsibility, more so than any club,” said McManus. It is easy to get caught up and overwhelmed by school and all the responsibilities that come with being in clubs, however, you can’t lose sight of which is more important.
In an effort to keep organized and stay on track, McManus has created a personalized system in his phone that makes all his daily tasks and responsibilities much less daunting.
“I break it down into what I need to do day by day, so what feels like 30 things I need to do all at once is actually just three things today and three tomorrow, etc.,” said McManus.
Simple gestures, such as this, can serve as an excellent tool for students struggling with balancing and getting schoolwork done on time.
Nevertheless, being a straight-A, AP student, like McManus, is already a tough job on its own, so it is important to note that everything that you are doing (both school and club-wise) is something you actually want to be doing because you enjoy it, even if it brings you stress. Additionally, if you are just participating in a club so it will look good on your resume, or you want the honor cord at graduation you are less inclined to do your best, which isn’t fair to yourself or the club, but at least you are being involved in your school community.
“Clubs offer a great opportunity to expand your horizons beyond class in a way that is less daunting since it’s not for a grade,” said McManus, “They [clubs] also give you the chance to develop skills in leadership, teamwork, and community service.”
These are all fundamental and core skills that will help you throughout your entire life, so learning to use and adapt them during high school is a fantastic way to become more proficient in them for your future self.
While balancing so many things at once can be a bit overwhelming at times, for McManus, it has been a great setup for the future by allowing him to “explore his interests in their fullest capacity” as well as teaching him valuable skills in time management and leadership that he will use for years to come.
“I love school and all it has to offer, but there’s only so many hours in the day. By being a member of these clubs, I’m able to further existing interests from classes and/or explore new ones I may not get to in class.” said McManus.
