Student Council by Xia

Student Council by Xia - September 2017 Scholarship Essay

Xia Pimpleton
Varsity Tutor Scholarship
9-10-17

An elective that I have taken that impacted my education, was Student Council in High School. It was my Junior year, 2014, I remember a teacher pulling me out of class. It felt like a mini interview because she asked me “Did you know you were voted to be in Student Council?” I was confused about the class because I am a very shy person. I asked her, “How was a selected, since I am very shy, why would I be selected?” I also asked if student council have to do a lot of speeches? She told me, “Not all speeches just communicating with your group, and the class.” I was still skeptical about being apart of student council. The lady that was talking to me was one of the assistant teachers for the class, she really encouraged me and believed in me even though she did not know me. She said I should try it out, and not to be nervous. My first day in class, the tables were arranged in groups, and we were all assigned to what they call a “committee.” I was in the Homecoming committee, which five of us would plan the event. We all introduced ourselves, in a interactive game that we played. There were students that was in student council since their freshman year, so they love to see new people joining the group. I felt welcomed, and ready to see what class would be like. It is not one of your normal classes, where you are sitting there in rows listening to the teacher. The class set up was different, always in a group, discussing ideas, and talking about school events, with light music in the background. Sometimes even going out of class walking around the building for the project. Some of the projects like our Homecoming Festival, we would call companies to see who would be a vendor. I was way too shy to call a business, or restaurants; So I would have other people in our group do that and I would find something else that in the group that did not involve calling anyone. I eventually had to break out of my shell, I had to start calling companies. I almost had a panic attack when I called the first company, I wrote word for word what I was going to say and I would hide in a quiet room where no one could hear me talk. They were all shocked that I finally did it and was very happy for me. I actually placed a huge order from a local bakery, and things went well the day of the event. There is one captain in each group, they are the people that has the most duties in the group. At one point the wanted me to be a captain and I backed out because I was nervous.
I am truly happy that the teachers voted for a shy girl like myself to be in student council. The class has really impacted my education because now I am more open. I am not as scared as I used to be to do speeches, make phone calls and communicate as a group for a project. Student Council has taught me to work as a team, discuss ideas and be open. Most of all talking on the phone to companies because that was one of my worries. I wished I could of been in student council my whole four years of high school. When I started college in 2015, I felt so open to find opportunities within the school, and prepared to do a speech the first day of class. Student Council was the best class to take ever, especially for introverted people. Student Council is involved in the school planning major event and in the community doing volunteer work, like stuff the bus to stop hunger. I tell students today if you have the opportunity to be in Student Council, take it. It will change your life, and help you throughout your future of eduction, and will look GREAT on your resume!