First Priority is one of two religious clubs that are offered to students at Robinson. It is a student-led club where individuals have the opportunity to preach the word of God amongst their peers. Teachers are not allowed to lead the club or talk openly about their beliefs; however, they are able to sponsor the club for the students. First Priority has enabled students to learn more about Christ and the basis of faith, while also establishing a sense of community within Robinson. Ava Hogan (’22) and Jaylen Stasio (’22) are two IB seniors who have been involved with First Priority since freshman year. They had the opportunity to discuss the importance of fellowship in school and how First Priority has contributed to building their relationship with Christ.

Q: Why did you join First Priority? 

AH: “I joined First Priority because I thought it would be a great way to get involved in school clubs. I was also drawn to the idea of furthering my relationship with Christ in an everyday environment like school.”

JS: “I joined first priority because I knew Amber Johansson, the woman who started the organization.”

Q: What is First Priority? And why should people join?

AH: “First Priority is a non-profit Christian club where you don’t have to be a Christian to join. I would encourage anyone to join first priority because we are a club whose main focus is spreading God’s light and being an example of his unconditional love for others. anyone is accepted no matter your circumstances. plus we have free food.”

JS: “First Priority is a Christian club, but you do not need to be of faith to join. People should join in order to strengthen their relationship with Jesus or simply to just start one.”

Q: What do you hope to accomplish from being in First Priority?

AH: “By being in First Priority, I hope to strengthen my walk with Christ while pouring into other people. I also hope to spread God’s love and continuously work on being more like Him in my everyday life.”

JS: “By being in First Priority, I hope to grow my relationship with God and bring others to Christ.”

Q: How has First Priority strengthened your relationship with Christ?

AH: “FP has strengthened my walk with Christ by showing me a different perspective and encouraging me to step up and be a leader in my community, as well as showing me how easy it is to evangelize no matter where you are.”

JS: “First Priority has really helped me to become more vocal about my faith. I feel like I’m able to connect to the bible stories that get discussed in the club so it helps real life and the past come together in a way that I understand.”

Q: What is First Priorities’ main goal?

AH: “I would say that FP’s main goal is to make people feel comfortable and accepted and loved while showing them a better way of life and how having a relationship with God can truly change them and help with any struggles they may go through.”

JS: “First Priorities’ main goal is to help bring others to Christ.”

Q: What information would you want students to know who are new to the club?

AH: “I would want anyone new to the club to know that FP is a safe place and they can always come to me or the other co president, Audrey Everett, with any questions they may have. I also want them to know that they are so loved by God and he has a better life planned for you if you accept Him into your life.”

JS: “I would want people to know that by no means do you have to be a Christian. You can be any religion, we just want you to know about Jesus.”

Q: How has First Priority encouraged your relationship with God?

AH: “First Priority has encouraged my relationship with God because it is helped me learn that is it important to fill your cup so you can fill others or in other words you have to have a strong relationship with Christ so you can help mentor and lead other people.”

JS: “First Priority has encouraged my relationship to grow and allow me to become more vocal. It also allows me to have a fun way to invite people to God.”

Q: What makes First Priority different from other clubs here at Robinson?

AH: “I think the leaders make FP different from other clubs. We have such strong leaders like Amber Johansen who help a lot behind the scenes and make sure our club is running smoothly and we have everything we need to be successful.”

JS: “What makes first priority different is the atmosphere. You can tell that something is different when it comes to this club. Everyone there is so nice and welcoming and they really portray the love of God.”

Q: How is it being a student-led club?

AH: “I love being in a club like FP where it is student-led. I think having student-led clubs allow a deeper connection between leaders and members and help provide a common perspective which creates a more comforting environment, especially when being introduced to a foreign topic.”

JS: “It’s amazing, I love being an advocate for Christ. I think it’s especially important regarding what this world is promoting these days.”

Q: What is the best part about being in this club?

AH: “I think the best part of First Priority is the weekly meetings every Tuesday morning because it really provides a great start to the day and an atmosphere where we can be focused on God‘s word and not distracted by societal factors.”

JS: “The best part about First Priority is the community you build when you come here. The people love God and it’s very apparent. I love being able to share that love with the people around.”