A place where everybody feels like somebody by Hailey
Hailey's entry into Varsity Tutor's January 2023 scholarship contest
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A place where everybody feels like somebody by Hailey - January 2023 Scholarship Essay
Student Council has changed my life and it should be a part of everyone's life. Student council is an elective and extracurricular activity, and it should be required that everyone should take it for at least one semester. It teaches students about organization and responsibility. It forces students to try new activities and meet new people. Most importantly it builds a community where everybody feels like somebody.
In student council there are committees, and everyone is part of one. These are to plan school events. It teaches students to be organized, plan, and responsibility as they must keep track of many details and talk to many people to pull off the event. It can also teach life skills, students may have to call a business to talk about the venue for prom or send a lot of professional emails to organize the homecoming parade. Students in student council learn time management as they have about six weeks to make ten large posters to decorate the hallways for a spirit week.
As a member of student council students are pushed out of their comfort zone in the best way possible. Members attend conventions with other school's councils where they meet new people. There is also a lot of meeting new people within that council. For example, at Sunrise Mountain High School, members of student council are put into random groups called “families”. Those families then spend time together outside of class. At Sunrise, student council plans whole council events where they go bowling, have a picnic at a park and even just go to Sonic before a school event.
So, all the reasons previously mentioned are really good, but this is the real reason student council or “stuco” should have an impact on everyone's life. It is the best, most compassionate community I have ever been part of. When I was admitted into a behavioral health facility for a week and coming back to school was scary, student council was there for me. The group welcomed me back with open arms. When I came back to class, they gave me a gift of a notebook where everyone had written me a kind note. I would go as far to say as student council is one of the most accepting and compassionate groups of people, I have ever been part of. Being a part of the community of student council is life changing. It should be mandatory that every student should be part of a group that makes everybody feel like somebody.