When eighth-grader Elijah Wampler walks into Beta Club meetings, he doesn't just participate—he leads. As vice president of Unity Point School's chapter of the national academic and service organization, Elijah embodies the club's four pillars: achievement, character, leadership, and service.

"It's fun," says Elijah. "There's volunteering, competing, doing stuff for your community... a bunch of different competitions for everyone."

What makes Beta Club distinctive is its blend of academic excellence and community engagement. To join, students must maintain a 3.72 GPA and complete both in-school and community service hours—15 hours within the school and 10 hours in the broader community.

Michelle Johnson, who teaches 7th and 8th grade English language arts, has sponsored the club for four years. Under her guidance, Unity Point's chapter has flourished, growing to include 72 members across 7th and 8th grades.

"Beta activities and competitions highlight intelligences of all kinds for kids," Johnson explains. "From STEM to academics to performance arts to visual arts."

This year, 60 Beta members traveled to Springfield for the Illinois State Convention, competing against approximately 100 schools from across the state. Students participate in traditional academic contests like math, English, and social studies, but also explore technology, visual arts, performing arts, and even invention competitions.

As vice president, Elijah tracks volunteer hours through a Google sheet he created, ensuring that all members meet their service requirements. His own volunteer work has included community cleanup after an ice storm and shoveling snow for neighbors.

"I really like the volunteering part of it," Elijah says. "I like volunteering at all the different places and going and seeing what it is."

At school, Beta members support events like the Fall Festival, assist with food drives, work concession stands, and help with reading programs for younger students. They also run stations for Unity Point's PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) rewards program.

The club's leadership team—including Elijah and president, Georgia Toms—runs meetings, sets agendas, establishes deadlines, and ensures everyone stays on track with requirements. Johnson describes them as functioning "like co-presidents," with excellent communication and the ability to step in for each other when needed.

Competition is another significant aspect of Beta. Elijah participates in multiple events, including Marketing, Communications, Robotics, Digital Portfolio, Computer Science, and Campaign Skit. His passion for technology shines through his involvement.

Since this interview, Elijah qualified for the National Beta Convention in Orlando after earning second place in Computer Science at the State Convention. This achievement places him among the elite competitors who will represent Illinois at the national level in June.

Unity Point's Beta Club has previously sent representatives to nationals for three years running. In past competitions, members have designed inventions like a tracking insole for shoes to locate children or individuals with Alzheimer's. Another student created a battery-operated pillow that stays cool all night, which reached the top five nationally.

"We're always amazed by everything we accomplish," says Johnson of the convention experience. She particularly values the reflective process encouraged by Beta's competition structure, where students track what worked and what didn't in their projects. "They don't want this perfect program where everything fell into place. They want them to reflect: 'This was a roadblock. Here's how we got around it.'"

This real-world problem-solving approach makes Beta Club more than just another academic activity—it's preparation for life. As students like Elijah develop their talents while serving others, they're learning perhaps the most important lesson of all: leadership means balancing personal achievement with community impact.