1. What are THREE (3) goals you would devote your time to pursuing as an Executive Officer (Exec) of Stu Gov?
a. Building a stronger community as an entire school.
b. Implementing Webb activities and events in which all students can enjoy as well as promoting school engagement in these events.
c. Enhancing student wellbeing.
2. Find and transcribe a quote that you believe best exemplifies your approach to leadership. Be sure to cite the person who is credited for the quotation. (Ex. “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.” —Nelson Mandela)
“Leadership is the capacity to translate a vision into reality.” -Warren Bennis
3. List THREE (3) skills or qualities you possess that you would utilize in your work as an Exec.
a. Determination
b. Empathy
c. Humility
4. The 2024-25 school year will mark the first year of the unified Webb Schools of California. In 1-2 paragraphs, describe your vision for the 2024-25 school year, specifically addressing any challenges we may face during this transitional year, and how you, as an Exec, would address these challenges? (Please note: Addressing the challenges does not mean that you are expected to resolve them.)
As the two schools come together in the 2024-25 school year, I believe students will get the chance to become part of a larger community as a class and will be provided with more opportunities to interact with one another. At the same time, however, there will definitely be a lot of challenges resulting from this unification – most of them having to do with changes regarding current Webb traditions and events. Some notable ones include Webb idol, Chapel, School assemblies, and retreats – just to name a few. However, as an Exec, I probably will not have a huge say on how these events will be carried out or changed in the transitional year. What I can do, however, is to listen to student feedback and how they feel about the changes, so if there are any pressing concerns regarding changes in certain traditions found in the student community, I am able to communicate that with faculty and staff so that they are aware of it and perhaps even resulting in further changes based off the feedback. Nonetheless, I understand that it is impossible to appeal to everyone’s beliefs and wishes, so if one person wants to get rid of a change made to a current Webb tradition or event, I can only explain to them why the school decided to make the change and why it can be beneficial to the entire community as a whole.
5. Which of the Four Pillars of Stu Gov resonates most with you, your values, your interests, and your goals – Service, Advocacy, Joyful Engagement, or Collaboration? In one paragraph, please explain your connection with this pillar.
The pillar that resonates with me the most is definitely joyful engagement. The reason for this is because I believe the things that this pillar focuses on exemplifies my 3 goals that I wish to accomplish as an Exec: creating a stronger school community, promoting student engagement, and ensuring student wellbeing. As this pillar revolves around planning and coming up with fun events catered to the entire Webb community, it will allow me to achieve my goal of creating a stronger student body community since these events and activities are what will build connections and foster a sense of belonging in students. The sense of camaraderie resulting from these events will not only allow for a stronger school community but also greater pride in being a student at Webb. Furthermore, as part of this pillar, I would need to promote and encourage students to participate in these events, which is something I enjoy doing and have an aptitude for as seen through my efforts during spirt week/night for my class. And finally, the most important quality of this pillar is found in the name itself: joy. By focusing on planning events and initiatives that promote joy and happiness, I can actively contribute to enhancing overall student wellbeing on campus – which is one of the main goals of what I would seek to accomplish as an Exec.
6. Senator Diane Feinstein is attributed with saying, “Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want.” What do you believe is the greatest desire of the student body?
Despite the differing and specific desires unique to each student at Webb, I believe that the one desire shared by ever student at Webb is to enjoy themselves. Whether that may be through excelling in academics, winning CIF in sports, or just having a great time with friends, I feel that the overarching goal for every student is to find joy and fulfillment in their time at Webb. Therefore, as Exec, I intend to prioritize all of these demands and I believe that by having proper communication and impartiality with a diverse group of people, I will be able to play a role in allowing for the student body to enjoy themselves—even if it’s a little bit during their time at Webb.
7. If you were given one school day, a budget of twenty thousand dollars, and complete authority to plan a program for the entire community…
a. What would be your goals for the day?
If I had the chance to utilize 20 thousand dollars for the school, I would definitely spend it on something that the entire school can enjoy. Thus, my first goal would be to find out what students would want during their time at Webb or what they think the school is currently lacking as a community. After doing so, I will be able to begin discussing with Mr. Rosenfeld and the board to figure out the logistics of the recommendations and if they are plausible or not. Once certain of one or potentially multiple options in which the money can be allocated, I will set up a meeting with Ms. Peddy to discuss how the process of spending the money will work. After everything is confirmed, I will send out an email to STAS informing the entire community of the event/program and its details.
b. What would the agenda/schedule look like?
8:30 AM- Once informed of this, I will first go to Mr. Rosenfeld and outline the plan for gathering student input.
9:00 AM- Whole school meeting in Liu Cheung/Crossroads informing the community about the 20 thousand dollars and prompting all members of the community to give some ideas in person.
9:30- Sending email to STAS informing the community about the 20 thousand dollars. In the email will be a survey in which students can fill in what they think the biggest concern they have regarding Webb or just what they would like to add to the program. The email will express the urgency of the results as the survey will end at 12:00
12:00 PM- Analyze student inputs and identify any common themes or ideas whilst eliminating any that wouldn’t be feasible.
1:30 PM- Present student input to the board and other administrators to assess the feasibility of the ideas.
2:30 PM- Meeting with Ms. Peddy and other financial administrators at Webb to figure out the logistics: budget allocation options, spending procedures, compliance with financial protocols.
3:30 PM- Finalizing everything and planning a way to announce to the community.
4:00 PM- Announce the new idea to the entire school either through a STAS email or another whole school meeting.
