Becoming a Class by Casey

Becoming a Class by Casey - November 2019 Scholarship Essay

It was the beginning of the eleventh-grade when the organizer of my homeschool co-op announced to my class that, as juniors, we would compose a student council. While public schools typically begin student councils in lower grades, we only have one for junior and senior year. The organizer instructed those who were interested in running for office to contact her. Although nearly the entire class opted out, claiming they were too busy, I felt a nudge, urging me to run for Vice President. And before I knew it, I became the new Junior Class Vice President.

Part of my role as Vice President was orchestrating the monthly class activities and getting the students plugged in. While this job is important for any class, for this class, it was crucial. No one knew each other, and zero were interested in being involved. At the first class meeting, only four or five students out of the fifteen attended. Furthermore, at the first activity, four students showed up, consisting of three officers, including myself, and one other student. After these events, I quickly realized that this job was going to require lots of work, and it was not going to be easy.

I decided that in order to persuade the students to engage, I needed to know each student and create personal relationships with them. As I started doing this, the attitude of the class began to change. As the year went on, friendships formed, attendance improved, and a class took form. As a result, working with one another on planning a banquet and graduation has become much easier and enjoyable. While these friendships might last for only a chapter, I believe that several will last for a lifetime.

Looking back, I am extremely thankful that I decided to run for Vice President. Although, at times, it could be stressful getting the class involved, nevertheless getting everyone to all agree on an activity and a date, in the end, it always came together. Looking back, I believe that the stress was one hundred percent worth it. Comparing this year to last year, as a class, we have come a long way. We went from, not knowing and not wanting to know each other, to working together and forming friendships. Although the class has grown to approximately twenty people, it may seem extremely undersized to those who attend public schools. However, in my opinion, it is perfect. Perfect for becoming the family that we now are.

If I had not run for Vice President, I cannot imagine where we would be today. Not only did that choice help the class, it also helped me grow into who I am today. I believe that everyone has a role in the student body, and mine just so happened to be Vice President. I ended up enjoying that office so much that I re-ran and earned a second term this year. For senior year, I hope to render a positive impact on the class just as I did last year, if not more.