How do students end up participating in student government, and why is it such a formative experience? Jesuit seniors in student government reflected on their paths to leadership and growth along them.
For senior and ASB president Lucy Robb, the path to president was not a clear one, but it was driven by a gut feeling that she wanted to be involved in the community on a deeper level.
Her sophomore year, Robb applied for an at-large position— a spot in the class rather than a formal position. She was not able to secure a spot in the class, but that didn’t stop her from pursuing a governmental position the next year.
Junior year, Robb tried again and decided to run for class president.
“That year I was really nervous about running again; I was scared because I already didn’t make it (the previous year),” Robb said.
However, when Robb campaigned and won, she was thrilled to be able to participate in student government and gain leadership experience.
Flash forward to her senior year, Robb ran for ASB (All Student Body) President and has represented the Jesuit student population since and is a prime example of resilience.
“Just because something you tried was unsuccessful doesn’t mean that all of your future attempts will be unsuccessful,” Robb attested.
If she’d been afraid of failure, Robb might not have accomplished goals like securing off-campus privileges for juniors. She expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to make her school proud and leave a positive impact, and noted how much it meant to know the student body put their trust in her.
Just this year, Holly Tinker ‘25 became a cabinet member and Keegan DeMerell ‘25 became an at-large member, a testament to the fact that you can’t start anything too late, you just have to go for it.
“I always wanted to find another way to connect with the Jesuit community… It’s a good way to serve others, listen, hear others’ opinions and voices, and then to be able to advocate for that in class,” Tinker said.
Both would describe the class as a creative outlet.
DeMerell, who has primarily been working on posters and advertising said the class is so “cool because everyone has so many creative ideas.”
Dr. Exley is the teacher filling in for Ms. Lakey while she is on maternity leave and he is involved with supporting the student candidates and their campaign. He is in charge of the qualification process of the students, making sure they’re academically and behaviorally qualified for applying to run as a candidate.
The voting process for an ASB representative is “pretty traditional” according to Dr. Exley, with each class getting to vote on their own class officers.
So what kind of leader is the community looking for?
Dr. Exley is always looking for students who are interested in making the community better long term and creating a lasting impact, not just short term benefits. Junior off-campus privileges, for example, was an intentional way to enrich the student experience long term.
For those curious about becoming part of student government, Robb offered her advice.
“I think resilience is one of the most important things in student government. It can be kind of a slow process sometimes for policy changes, but people do want to help you, and they want to be in your corner. Just because something you tried was unsuccessful doesn’t mean that all of your future attempts will be unsuccessful.”
