Growth Through Unity by Autumn

Growth Through Unity by Autumn - July 2018 Scholarship Essay

If I were running for student body president, I would hope to positively impact my high school by bringing the students closer together and encouraging them to be more involved. Whether it’s through more pep rallies, tailgates, or even community outreach programs, every school needs to have more opportunities for students to get to know one another and form a more united student body.
As most people can clearly see at Friday night high school football games, sports are an easy way to encourage students to bond together. The excitement of the night and the common enemy lead to a rather united front compared to what is typically seen in the classroom. Pep rallies can often encourage this unity, and if I were running for student body president I would advocate for more student involvement at pep rallies and other social gatherings. I would hope to implement fun and imaginative ideas for activities to make each pep rally and event unique. Feedback and suggestions from student body surveys would help the students recognize their ability to advocate for things that are most important to them during the pep rallies. Students at my school know what they wish to see happen at their pep rallies, and if given an outlet, they will share those ideas.
I also want to encourage students to learn how to give more, especially to those who find themselves facing dire circumstances during critical times of their lives. During my sophomore year, one of my math teachers led an outreach program to help a family who had just lost their home through a fire. It was around Christmas time, so he collected Christmas wish lists from the family, and keeping the identity of the members anonymous, shared those lists with the class. Students from all of his classes, including myself, brought in whatever they could and helped to sort and wrap all the gifts. We signed them all ‘Santa’, and our teacher delivered them to the family on Christmas Eve.
If I were running for student body president, I would advocate for a school wide program similar to what my math teacher does every winter. Bringing in gifts for a family in need, simply to help the community and not to seek out affirmation from others, is an important lesson many high school students would benefit from learning. The opportunity for everyone to give just a little, and make a huge impact, is something that the students at my school should have a chance to participate in. Nothing brings people together like working towards a common goal.
Being a student body president is more than just a fancy title and something to put on your high school resume, it’s an opportunity to impact your school and change it for the better. If I were to ever run for student body president, I would bring more opportunities for students to form a cohesive unit, one striving to positively impact each other and the community around them. From student activities to getting involved in the community, the students at my school would have countless possibilities to learn more about one another if I were student body president.