As I approach the last week of my three year service on the ASB, I’ve finally gained a sense of relief from some of the responsibility I’ve felt after the many tensions and pressures of being in student government, first during freshman and sophomore year as Recording Secretary and then this year as Junior President.
With the stresses of planning and executing numerous activities and meetings piled on top of preparing for major events like Song & Yell and Boat Dance, much of my time was dedicated to school functions and helping my class progress.
Especially as a class president, it became a more stressful experience compared to my work as a secretary having to lead the cabinet and call a lot of shots with officers who were mostly new to their jobs. Even within the greater ASB, my longer tenure led me to help in activities that were above what was expected of me, generating more stress.
While serving, the financial struggle the class experienced weighed heavily on me, with tight budgets and little time to raise funds. The lack of engagement from fellow classmen also proved to be an obstacle as there was little I could do without having enough people willing to help out no matter what I did to try and incentivize people to get involved. That, along with the pressures of setting up future officers up for success financially and through policy, remained at the back of my mind.
Despite this, I have been able to balance my classes with the student body work to my satisfaction. Even so, I felt that it would be better for me to refocus myself and enjoy some of high school while it lasts.
But now as I wrap up the transfer of power to my successor and her cabinet, I am able to reflect on my journey and move forward, starting to release some burdens and open up more of my time to spend on different experiences and opportunities.
Finally having been released from my weekly officer meetings and General Council meetings, on top of the biweekly pep club meetings and nearly monthly ASB Store shift, I can now focus more of my attention on my future classes and take this chance to join some clubs which has been difficult because of time commitments for ASB.
In the coming year, I look forward to not having to worry about what goes on behind the scenes, at last being able to enjoy the results of the hard work the incoming ASB will hopefully achieve.
