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

Leadership is not a magnetic personality, that can just as well be a glib tongue.  It is not ‘making friends and influencing people.’ Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations” – Peter Drucker.

Over our NOLS Arrow Week trip last year I was told that in leadership positions, I tend to take the role of the “driver.” The driver is very soft spoken, the driver thoroughly listens and consider. The driver speaks when she is ready to throw something on the table that ignites the fire under the stomach of an idea.

I chose this quote to reflect myself because I would not characterize myself as one with a “magnetic personality,” however; I believe I am more than capable of taking the ASB program as raising it “beyond its normal limitations.” Bothe the “driver,” and Peter Drucker’s quote reflect values of innovation, soft-spoken audacity, and ambition.

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

My mission as a member of the ASB Executive Council is for the girls to look forward to school everyday; to feel included in an environment that encourages  self-expression.  I want ASB to do everything within our capacity to make school life happier, and simpler.  I want to work toward amplifying the voices of our girls who want to be heard.  I want to unite the whole school, not just the Upper School as real sisters.

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

I’d like to take ASB off of Sunset Blvd, and onto Social media; a platform for all Archer girls to actively interact with the board, live document Archer event and celebrations, this will let girls feel like they are fully immersed in the community and will be vastly popular.  Too many times I have heard girls speak of how they want to exercise their self-expression more often, I think it owuld be incredible if for one week each year we gave each student (or those who sign up) a sketch pad, or a camera, and have them be creative for the whole week.

I intend on always offering something for the girls to look forward to.  The students need to feel like they are part of a community more than just a couple of times a year during Spirit Week and Halloween.  This could include little challenges during the week or perhaps even supplying cookies tea during finals week on the front veranda. It’s amazing how simple it is to change a girl’s day if it’s easing the stress and anxiety with some treats, or spending a lunch period outside sketching or taking interesting photos.

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?

The role of ASB should be quite simple, to merely serve as a direct liasion between the girls and the administrative directors of the school.  Similarly to a House of Representatives, everything the ASB ought to do should benefit the girls.  Currently, I do not think that the ASB is doing strong enough of a job to bring the school together as a community.

I feel as though there is a lot of “forced spirit,” I do not believe that playing a music video at an assembly is enough to remind the girls that they can look to the ASB to make changes in our community, and come together.  Similarly to a cheerleading squad it is the ASB’s job to encourage ambitious joyful learning, to make the girls want to become part of a community, to constantly keep them on edge with someone to make them smile each day.

I think ASB has to be more proactive in coming up with ways for us to come together, for example we could have weekly “dares,” that we post on our social media account of some silly things to do on a given day of the school week, and whoever has completed the most amount of “dares,” gets a prize.  Simple things like this make a difference.

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

In all honesty, I am not applying to be a part of ASB to look good on my college resume, but because and I am not just saying this, I love Archer; more than anyone could possible imagine. I am thrilled to go to school each day, even when I have math long block. If I have the opportunity to help strengthen my community, to make big changes, to convince over one hundred girls that we can do anything, to represent the girls that I am so thankful to call my peers, of course I would.

In fact, I am just leaping out of my comfort zone in doing this. I truly believe that I am thoroughly capable of making effective and long-term changes. It would be a sincere honor to be a member of the ASB Executive council, and I can only hope that I am elected. I haven’t wanted anything much more.