Meet the 22-23 Student Council! - Part 1
By Lydia N.
NorthStar Academy’s Student Council (also known as StuCo) is behind every event on our beautiful online campus. However, StuCo often works in the background, behind the Wizard-of-Oz-esq curtain.
Student Council is a big group of students and mentors all working together for the good of NorthStar. As such, there are quite a few people and roles to explain. In Part 1 of this article, I’ll be talking about The Leadership Team.
The StuCo Coordinator:
About: Mrs. V is the Advisor for Student Council - she works with all the StuCo positions! She helps every team and makes sure everything is going according to plan. As Anna, a Content Creator on StuCo this year, says, “Mrs. V is really what makes StuCo work. She invests so much time in her students and she works alongside us with the intention of helping us grow as leaders. We would never make it without her…”
Mrs. V - StuCo Coordinator: I'm a desert and ocean girl from southwest America and I love to write, snuggle, and walk. I've worked at NSA for 7 years but this is my first year as a community coordinator, a position that didn't even exist last year. [The thing I look forward to the most this year is] the thing that happens three steps after a mess up. The leaning into friendships and love for resilience and gumption to face reality after a mistake. The moment when we try again, but different. Grit & grace is my favorite part of every story. Put your assumptions down, because StuCo probably is not what you expect. StuCo is truly shaped by leaders who have the freedom to make choices on how to serve others based on interests and gifts. [...] Your school leaders love you, pray for you daily by name, and are always learning with you and for you. Living in a digital community is awesome and takes time to get used to. One of the things I love the most about us is that, when faced with new technology or a new problem to solve, we listen long, work together, and ask lots of questions. We laugh. We give grace. We are kind and assume the best of one another. You guys inspire us to do this work well, so be nice when we mess up. We're humans, like you.
The Leadership Team:
About: The Leadership Team is in charge of helping organize and run the Student Council. They oversee projects and help out the other teams when they need it. Each part of the Leadership Team heads up a different part of StuCo. The President’s job is to head up all of Student Council, but specifically the Communication Team. The President makes sure the Communication Team is running efficiently and effectively and oversees their progress. The Vice President’s job is to help the president and lead the Outreach Team. The Secretary leads the Representative Team to ensure due dates are met. All members of the Leadership Team will help run events and tackle projects along with the rest of Student Council.
Mentors
Mrs. Newsom - Mentor for the Leadership Team: Ms. Newsom lives in Dothan, Alabama with her dog, Sadie, who likes to hunt in the backyard. She plays tennis and board games for fun.
Student Council Members
Esther N. - President: Heyy there! I'm Esther Noeth, 2022-23 Stuco Prez! I spend a lot of time making music, doing art, taking pics, baking—goodness, there are so many things I do. But I think my absolute FAVORITE thing in the world, is people. I love having conversations, connecting, making new friends, building community, and living life alongside lovely humans.
Chichi U. - Vice President: I live in Pennsylvania and have been part of the NSA community for over three years. This is my second year serving on the Student Council. I participate in planning the back-end logistics of NSA’s school-wide events. Some of the ones which I’m looking forward to are the College and Career Fairs, and the Spiritual Emphasis Events. These [StuCo] positions require commitment of time and effort, but the skills you develop from the experience are so worth it. Serving the NSA community in the Student Council has sparked a lot of personal growth as I’ve learned what it means to be a servant leader, to model authenticity, and to lead by example.
Zoe L. - Secretary: My name is Zoe L. and my position on StuCo is Secretary :) I’m 17, and I’m a Senior this year. I was born in Singapore, but I used to live in Shanghai, China for 9 years before coming back to Singapore 5 years ago. My hobbies include playing the piano and violin, listening to music, songwriting, drawing, and basketball. I also have a great interest in the STEM field. Fun fact about me is that I love getting to know new people, helping others out, and being a positive light to others :) One thing that I felt God place in my heart for a vision for StuCo this year is the idea of ‘reaching out’. During the start of the school year, I noticed that the layout of Teams was much different from how it used to be, so it took some time to get used to. Over time, I realized how effective this new layout was and how we can use this change to reach out to more students than ever before. [...] I’m really looking forward for more connections this year as we take on our responsibilities and lead with difference and impact.
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Lydia N. lives in Kansas City with her mom, stepdad, and dog, Pippin. This is her third year at NSA, her second on Student Council, and her second as the Editor-in-Chief for The NorthStar Navigator. She hopes to pursue a career in digital marketing and graphic design in the future, as well as pursue her acting and singing dreams.