“Over the summer, I had the honor of serving as the Student Liaison for the MHRD Reopening Committee which had members of the Board of Ed as well as Admin. It was highlighted how safety and health is the utmost concern of the district, and I brought up how that includes mental health. I presented a series of ideas that could be implemented, and I am proud to see that some of them were instituted.

I ran on a platform of inspiring a deeper school spirit among the student body, because I knew that having an uplifting and accepting school environment could pose beneficial to the mental health of the student body. After being elected, my team and I developed a series of innovative events to stimulate school spirit, but unfortunately many could not be planned due to restrictions from the State. However, the SGA and Class Officers are trying to make the most out of the rest of the year by planning other events to perpetuate that school spirit.

I’ve spoken at a series of Board Meetings this year to give a report of the student perspective. I tried to vocalize the concerns and grievances of the student body as often as I could to the Board to ensure their voices were given their deserved influence. For instance, a few months ago when we were considering which route to take for scheduling in the Fourth Quarter, SGA Officers from Morris Knolls approached me about a coalition of student leaders to speak at the Board Meeting to show wide opposition against extending the school day. I was a firm believer that extending the amount of time that students would be sitting behind a screen would pose a significant threat to the mental health of our community. I articulated all this on the behalf of both schools, and I find that it was successful in getting the point across.

I find that my tenure as a student leader at Morris Hills has been a fruitful one, and I am honored to have served my fellow students for the last four years in multiple capacities. I look forward to seeing what future student leaders have to offer our school, and it is crucial to remember we are all Scarlet Knights, and that we are one family.” — May 2021