Senior Essay 60

“—– ——-, the new Student Council Junior Class Representative.”

​Hearing these nine words was something that I’d never thought I’d hear. Being in the student council was something that I had dreamed of. The ability to take on a leadership role and finally lead my class was exciting, and I was eager to get started as soon as possible. However, when my class found out, their reaction was different. Some were disappointed, wishing it were someone else. Others were confused about why I had put my name in the drawing in the first place. This confused me as I thought that people would accept me as their new representative and love any new ideas that I would bring to the table. This became the establishment of my new mindset, self-discovery.

At first, I wanted to please my class. I agreed to any of their ideas, even if I fully disagreed with them and thought that they simply would not work. This went on for months until September 15, 2025. The week of homecoming. As a class representative, there are many things you must do: one is to lead your class in homecoming. You must create a class float and present your float in a community parade. This challenged me as a leader and made me use my voice.

​ In the beginning, it was really hard, as I hated conflict and was a serious people pleaser, but the more the week went on, I began to evolve more into my role, finding my voice and leading my class on as I told them what colors we needed for the float, and where to put certain pieces of paint and cardboard. By the end of the week, the float was done. I was excited with the outcome and how beautiful it was in the end. This event had brought my class and me closer, and made me feel happier knowing that we could grow from this experience.

​ Following up on a coin drive. At the beginning of the year, 2025, my class sponsor told my class a story. One of his friends, an old worker of the school, was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and needed help with medical bills and treatment. This sparked ideas in my head of different ways to help and support him. Soon, my class sponsor and I decided on a coin drive, where all grades, ninth through twelfth, would get involved in raising money for the teacher in the span of a week. This raised immense money, and after that, we also hosted a basketball game in his honor to help raise more money.

​ While hosting this event, my classmates and I went through many uncertainties. One of the first steps was getting my classmates to sit at lunch with me while we collected donations. This was tricky, as many did not want to help, and only a few signed up. Next, I had to assign workers for the basketball game, which included people running the concession stand, scoreboard, cleanup, teardown, and even signing up to play in the game. This was a difficult job as many were busy with jobs outside of school, had homework to catch up on, and those who just didn’t want to sign up. Finding my voice was easier this time. I struggled at some points as I wanted this event to be perfect while also not wanting to cause conflict. As the event progressed, so did my classmates and I, and we soon bonded over this event. It brought my class and me together, but this time, stronger than ever.

As the school year came to an end, my class and I began to understand each other. They respected my leadership, and I respected their ideas and opinions. Soon, I re-ran for the student council’s historian.

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“—– ——-, The new Student Council Historian”

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Those eight words were words I was proud of hearing.