Last fall, when I came into my freshman year of high school, I was unsure of how I would fit into the school community. From depictions in pop culture, I understood secondary education to be an extremely divisive experience. In movies, the student body divides based on polarizing interests, with barely any intersection of cliques. Yet in time, I realized these stereotypes to be false. At Marblehead High School, students pursue multiple interests, and join multiple groups of friends. Rarely are there people that can be simplified or classified as a person of just one particular niche.
Yet despite pop culture’s many false notions of high school, one cliché that will always be true is the fact that high school is a great time to start fresh. With these new lessons in mind, I decided to take the leap towards becoming a class officer.
Before this year, I never imagined myself taking on a position in student government, especially because of the expectations I had of this position, and its holder. To me, a class treasurer has to be completely put together, with ambitions of someday holding public office and gaining world domination. Like so many other stereotypes in high school, there appeared to be personal obligations in order to perfectly fit the role. However, after a motivational conversation with another prospective candidate, I decided to go out on a limb and run for the position. Weeks later, I won the election and became my class’s treasurer.
As the year progressed, one event in particular stands out in terms of the way this position’s effect on me. In the weeks preceding Valentine’s Day, my class fundraised by selling roses and candy to the student body. Through this event I learned invaluable communication skills, both through talks with local flower vendors, as well as discussion with my school’s administration. Even simple skills such as the ability to write formal emails and call businesses on the phone were unfamiliar to me before this experience. Beyond these fundamental abilities, I learned even greater lessons, like the importance of assertiveness, as well as the value of being an educated consumer and advocating for my needs. After all, while I may disbelieve in many of the quintessential high school stereotypes, plenty of adults do not. When I was talked down to, I had to know how to appropriately persevere. Yet for every negative encounter I faced, there were far more adults there to respect me, no matter my age. The flower department I ultimately chose not only priced their flowers almost a dollar less per stem than their competitors, but treated me as an equal, both on the phone, and throughout in person consultations.
To be a high school class officer, or to even just hold any position of power for that matter, is not an easy task. There are innumerable responsibilities and lessons to come from the experience, and along the way, it is easy to forget the purpose of this position. Yet when one does take a moment to step back and think of all they gained along the way, they will realize that even beyond serving their peers, the most rewarding part of holding office is to see their own personal growth. After all, I would not say that student council is for those who are looking to better their community. The position of class officer is meant for those ready to jump headfirst into a world of mature responsibilities, and experience the reckonings that must come with this. I can confidently say that from this position, I am equipped with greater work ethic, along with stronger communications and leadership skills. This is what I believe it means to be a high school class officer.