Gabe McKinlays Interview

– What is your favorite part about being class president?

My favorite part of being class president is that I am able to speak for the class and be able to do a lot of different and fun things to raise money for our prom.

– Do you have any plans for your class? If so, what?

I would have done a dunk tank to kick off the year, but I think we are going to try and push for a later date. Marc Nakashian and I are trying to get student and teacher sporting events.

– How long have you been involved in the student council?

Surprisingly this is my first year!

– Are you a part of any other clubs?

I am. I am a part of peer leadership and key club

– What advice would you give to a lowerclassman wanting to join the student council?

My advice would be to just go for it, I was never really the type of person to run for student council but once I did, it became a very rewarding experience.

– Do you participate in any extracurriculars? If so, what is your favorite thing about it?

I do! I am a part of the football team, peer leaders, key club and of course student council. My favorite thing about it is that there is a sense of community, as cliche as that sounds, it’s very true that in a sense we all look out for each other and want the best for everyone.

– What do you see yourself doing as a future career?

I see myself doing a couple of things, I would like to be a teacher, a lawyer, or a politician.

– Have you done anything for the community in the past couple of months?

I haven’t done anything recently, But I do have events lined up such as, Coaching Baseball, and helping out at a local soup kitchen.

– How long have you been involved in extracurricular activities?

I have been involved in extracurriculars since my freshman year. Every year I have joined something new!

Leah Nortons Interveiw

What is your position in student council?
Senior Class Treasurer

– What do you have to do for your position?
Plan fundraisers, manage our account balance, and help us stay on track for our budget goals.

– How many years have you participated in student council?
I have been in the student council since freshman year but only became class treasurer Junior year.

– What is your favorite part about being on student council?
I love being able to have a say in our class events, especially as seniors when everything really counts and we can go full-out.

– Are you a part of other clubs or extracurricular activities?
I am! I serve as a board member for the Green Team, Girl Up, Key Club, and a GSA President. I’m also the Color Guard Captain and an enthusiastic Harvard Model Congress participant.

– What advice would you give to underclassmen thinking about joining student councils/clubs?
Absolutely go for it! The worst case scenario is that you learn a lot about public speaking and campaigning, while the best case is having the honor of representing your grade! I have had an absolute blast with the student council for the past two years, and I would encourage anyone even remotely interested to join.

– Have you done anything for the community in the past couple of months?
Nothing major. Through Girl Up though, we did collaborate with the Bernardsville Rec department in their annual 5K which was a lot of fun. Over on the Key Club board we are actively working on getting tons of new community service projects up and running.

– What do you see yourself doing as a future career?
I really want to go into medical research. I’m also super interested in environmental policy.

– What is your favorite thing about being a part of clubs?
I love the social aspect. Coming off of covid, clubs have been a fantastic outlet to rebuild those bonds with peers that might have been lost over the pandemic. Clubs are a really welcoming space for people with similar interests, so it’s the perfect place to meet great people.

– Do you have any plans for after you graduate high school?
I am currently very painfully in the depths of college applications, so if all goes well that’s where I should be in a year’s time.