The place that has helped me to shape my notions of citizenship is Hermitage High School. Hermitage is a very diverse and lively school. The four years I spent their have helped me shape my understandings of good citizenship. During my four years of high school by participating in clubs and sports teams I was able to strengthen my knowledge of what a good citizen is, because all the extracurricular activities exposed me to different experiences. Field Hockey, Triangle One, Student Government, and Peer Helpers all enabled me to become an active citizen. I can relate some of my experiences at Hermitage High School with the course text I read by Robert Putnam called “Bowling Alone,” which he talks greatly about social capital. Social capital is when people practice active citizenship in their community by participating in community actives, school actives, and clubs, by doing this allows the overall well being of the community to rise. This meaning the crime rates will perhaps go down and education will rise, which is a result of social capital and people in these communities are active citizens.