Senior Juliet Youssef first heard she won the election for 2018-2019 Student Body President as she cheered on her varsity swim teammates at the Liberty League Championship on May 4.

The Oracle sat down with Youssef to discuss her journey to being elected president and her plans for next school year.

How does it feel to be elected the next student body president?

Juliet Youssef [JY]: It feels amazing. Honestly, I am still in shock. But it is such a great honor to know the student body believes in me, and I just feel great pride. I am just excited to see what the future brings.

How did you find out that you won the presidency? What was your initial reaction?

JY: I was actually at a swim meet. I was thinking more about the actual relay that was going on. It was the last relay of my junior year, and I really wanted to support the seniors. Personally, I like to process things on my own before speaking about it with other people. I wanted to focus on  the seniors competing before I knew if it was a positive or negative result. I found out with the swim team, which was actually really great. My swim team is like my family, just like Archer is like my family. It was really nice to just be embraced and celebrate with them in a place I felt comfortable. I was utterly shocked and in disbelief. When you have a goal for so long, and you might not think it is attainable, when it happens, it just feels surreal.

When did you start getting involved in student council at Archer?

My dad was the one who originally pushed me to even think about leadership. In eighth grade, they were talking about student council and being a class rep, and [my dad] just told me I would enjoy it. I didn’t really think of myself as a leader before then, so I took the risk. Thankfully I got elected for ninth and tenth grade class representative.

I never saw myself as a leader that automatically took charge because I think everyone is a leader at heart. I just want to be a person that anyone can feel free talking to, [someone] they feel they could rely on, and [I want to] be the voice for the people that don’t always feel comfortable speaking up for themselves.

What are your goals for next year?

So many things. My first priority is inclusivity and making sure everyone is happy. I think school in general, and especially middle and high school, [is] one of the most crucial times for developing your own sense of self. I think it can be hard with the social aspect mixed with academics. One of my goals is bringing [Family Friday] back because, for me, family taught me that age and grade level does not have to be a barrier. It really brought me out of my shell. I think it is a great opportunity for every girl and every person.