Circle K International: October Update
I am a data science student at Moorpark College, but also a member of their CKI club. Here’s the events we’ve had so far, my experience, and what I’ve learned.
Three Meetings
9/22/2025, they hosted their first meeting in the large lecture hall in the EATM building. It was an a typical meeting, given it was the first meeting post club rush and thus a large amount of members showed up. The board went over who they are, what they do, upcoming events, and they hosted an icebreaker.
At the beginning of October, they posted their second meeting. Held in the academic center (AC), it served as a general overview and recap, we began preparing crafts for the Diaz De Los Muertos Festival we will be volunteeering at, by stapiling together paper towel/toliet paper rolls into candle holders for the kids craft table.
Plant Palooza
The star of the show and main volunteer event I’ve attended thus far, the plant palooza! “Native Plantpalooza & Eco Fest is a free, family-friendly outdoor event where the Conejo Valley community learns about native plants, water-wise gardening and more sustainable living. It provides inspiration for attendees to protect our environment and be good stewards of our open space. The event includes a variety of eco-themed exhibitors, including native plant vendors, beekeepers, wildlife rehab specialists and herpetologists. Experts speak on topics including native wildlife, drought-resistant gardening and supporting monarchs through growing milkweed” (Conejo Open Space Foundation).
I worked from about 9am-2pm, helping wherever I could. I helped set up the tents, signs, tables, and then I was assigned to sit and work at the Athens Trash Company table, since the worker running it was alone. I was able to help pitch their resources to a range of peoples, and direct questions about Athens back to the professional. She was incredibly kind to work with and kept a positive attitude despite the heat of the event.
Sitting at the Athens tent while professionals answer specific questions.
On my break, I walked around and talked to all of tents, getting to know their goals and causes. It ranged from places that do volunteer work to places that cell honey; all things plant-adjacent, of course.
Beyond the opportunity to help with this wondrful event, I aappreciate the opportuniy to bond and connect with my peers. Here are the final group pictures –»
And here’s the instagram post, for those interested in the rest of the event’s recap.
Angels In America (The School Play)
To support the school play, CKI offered free tickets on a particular Wednesday to go as a group and watch the play. Angels in America was the most unique play I’ve experienced thus far, but it allowed me to complete my second extracurricular form requirement for the honors program, and it allowed me to get to know some of my CKI peers better, as well as provide me a culturally enlightening experience. For more information on the Moorpark production, check out the website here.
Final Thoughts
CKI so far has been a lovely opportunity to give back to my community while connecting to my peers and experiencing new things. There is another event coming up this sunday, so be sure to follow my blog (by following me on Linkedin) to check it out and stay posted. :)