1. Choose a leadership quote and in a short paragraph explain how it applies to your “style” of leadership and why.

I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as making a “life.” I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

I chose this quote because it touches on various qualities of what makes a successful leader. This quote by Maya Angelou is a series of sentences about things that she has learned over her lifetime, which in principle, shows that she is not afraid to learn and grow. A good leader can keep calm while untangling christmas lights or locating lost luggage.

While Maya doesn’t explicitly say that, she implies that these situations display the most about someone’s personality. She differentiates the value of making a dollar rather than making life long connections with the comparison of making a “living” versus “life.”

A successful leader should not solely lead a group but should be able to respond to their energy and adjust accordingly. This is referring to not going through “life with a catchers mitt on both hands.” A leader’s effective decision making process is explicated when Maya reveals that she is always more fortunate when she has an open heart. Maya also does not forget to state the negative qualities of a leader by not “being a pain.”

An excellent leader is also warm and loving, especially when others need it most. A solid hug never hurts. A leader is open to learning, open to new experiences and relationships. The last sentence of this quote is the most impactful due to its authenticity. The way a leader makes one feel should always overpower what they do to get there.

Some say actions speak louder than words but to that I say that feeling is even louder. An impactful leader should make one feel included, important and a part of a whole. As a developing leader, I hope to make others feel a sense of community in an Archer setting and also on a larger scale.

2. As a student council member, what important goals would you have for Student Council? For Archer?

My goal as a member of the Archer Student Council is to unite the Archer Community. Whether this is through more leadership conferences, school wide events, or team building activities, I feel that it is vital for the Archer community to come together.

At my old school, there was extreme separation and tension between the grade levels; this is not at all what I want for Archer, not that I predict that happening. Instead, I want to create opportunities and an environment where there is no group separation and everyone can be themselves. While this is very much already present, I want to reinforce these values.

3. What are your plans for increasing school spirit and student participation at Archer?

In my opinion, increasing school spirit is one of the hardest parts of being a student council member because the student participation is one of the most vital factors to bringing success to your grade as a whole. It is also the one thing that you can’t always control alone; the grade needs to work together. I have thought a lot about this over the years as my grade has progressively become more spirited.

This spirit week was the first time I have felt that my grade came together effectively. Everyone dressed to the nines for their costumes, there was high participation in the various activities and we won the spirit week dance competition. Our grade became competitive and that is what drove us to want another win.

With that in mind, raising the stakes of the competitions would be a good idea to raise school spirit at Archer. It worked this year, why not continue to improve?

4. What role(s) do you think Student Council should play at archer? Is Student Council currently fulfilling that role? If not, what changes do you propose to make it happen?

I recall when I was in student council, we struggled with being solely recognized as a “party planning” group. Student council since then has grown tremendously from that title to a group of model students that help support the community on a larger scale.

I think student council at Archer should continue to grow and evolve because that is so vital in overall impact in the community. The student council should continue to learn about leadership in order to effectively lead their grades. Student council should be always a trusted resource for all students in both middle and upper school.

5. Why do you want to be on Student Council, really?

Since I have started school here at Archer, I have started to crave leadership opportunities. I had never previously known this about myself and my four years at Archer have allowed me to come out of my shell.

I have come to enjoy being in a leadership position and I always strive to learn more. I loved being on student council in 8th and 9th grade and now that I have the opportunity to run for ASB, I hope that the school responds to my positive energy and craving for leadership.