Many students at West High aren’t exactly sure who coordinates our fun school activities/events including prom, homecoming, rallies, dances, and more. If you are unaware, leadership oversees all of them. Without our student body, it wouldn’t be possible to make great memories! Students at our school seem to underestimate leadership, even though they put tons of effort into West High. To highlight our hardworking student body, I wanted to interview our wonderful ASB President, Senior Kaelyn Garcia, who does a lot for leadership and our school.
It is without a doubt that as ASB president, there are bound to be a lot of duties and responsibilities. “As ASB president, it is my duty to build the pride and culture of our school and create a welcoming environment. Additionally, I must ensure that all leadership-related events succeed and that the preparations beforehand are in motion and on track. I supervise my peers and guide them to be the best leaders they can be,” Garcia says when asked about what she does for our school.
The next question was how Garcia managed to balance being ASB President while being such an exceptional student. “I am able to balance out my responsibilities with school and my presidency by understanding my own priorities and what is expected of me,” she responds. “I set goals and standards for myself that I am determined to meet. It’s basically all about staying motivated and encouraged despite having multiple responsibilities to juggle.” Considering how much time leadership takes up, it’s admirable how she’s able to be a good student while also handling student body responsibilities.
“I do think that people underestimate the role of ASB President,” she answers when asked if she thinks people underestimate the role of ASB President. “I myself underestimated this role when Lily Banchero and Izaiah Quiruz were our ASB Presidents in my sophomore and junior year. There are high expectations that come with this role that many may not understand.”
Curious about the expectations, I decided to ask her about them. “This role comes with making tough, quick decisions and many sacrifices in the process,” she adds. “It requires long hours of dedication, resilience, and persistence. If something goes wrong or an issue occurs, it’s up to me to figure it out and help resolve the issue in any way I can. As president, I hold full responsibility for the work our program does.”
Leadership definitely does so much for our school, and it’s important to thank them once in a while to show our appreciation for them. With all their effort, leadership hopes our school will look at our school in a positive light. “As Student Government of our school, we strive to make West High Best High live up to that name. We truly want to make everybody’s high school experience memorable. I just want everybody to have a great day or not, the choice is theirs,” Garcia states passionately. “I believe that everyone has it in them to leave a mark on this school. I feel responsible that those who graduate from this school can look back on their lives ten years, maybe even fifty years, from now and remember high school in a positive, enjoyable light.”
