I have two years of experience of being in student council (in my middle school), so I can work with a team of representatives very well. Some of the activities I’ve worked together with my peers to plan are chess competitions, basketball/soccer tournaments (within the school), quiz bowls, and debates. To know what our fellow students really want for the student council to do, I set up a “suggestion box” in my old school; people can write the changes they want to see, any ideas they have for activities, or just any suggestions for the student council. We would read these before our meetings, and eventually, that became what decided our agenda for our meetings. I am responsible and always eager to contribute to the Peddie community. I am also good at listening to the voices of the student body, because we are representing our classmates and peers instead of making decisions for them. I currently have four ideas that I want to bring to student council. First, I have heard that many students are calling for a volleyball club or team. This is not just for freshmen; a lot of students from all grades love volleyball and/or are good at it, and if there were a team, they would definitely join. Also, other prep schools in New Jersey have volleyball as a team sport, so adding volleyball to our athletics department would help Peddie have more chances to compete with other schools. Blair has a volleyball team, and if we add volleyball as one of our fall sports, we would have one more point for us to win on Blair day. 🙂 From what my classmates have told me, being able to eat food from their home country is the top reason for why they’re excited for Thanksgiving break. Collaborating with PFS or the Bon Appetite club to serve dishes from various cuisines would make students from different backgrounds extremely glad (including myself).

How will you ensure that your leadership is inclusive and representative of the entire student body?
One thing I learned from being in student council in middle school is that representatives need to always have the student body’s best interest at heart. I can communicate well with the people I work together with in student council, and also the rest of the student body. The ideas I bring to student council come from my fellow students, because my opinion by itself is not sufficient in being inclusive and representative of the entire student body.

What initiatives do you have in mind to improve the overall school experience for your fellow students?
I want my fellow students to be comfortable with speaking their mind about making changes to our community (hence the suggestion box). The student council should act as an ambassador between students and school administrators or faculty, making it easier for students to voice their opinions about anything related to their life at Peddie (classes, dorm life, food, etc).