When students think of leaders in their school, they may think of teachers or any other adult figure they talk to, but leadership can be found anywhere throughout the school; the majority of students are leaders in a variety of ways.
Amy Dillion, prevention and wellness coordinator, gets the chance to work with student leaders everyday. Something she has noticed about those leaders that she believes is a common misconception is that they aren’t all extroverted.
“We have some very quiet, kind of understated, very strong leaders,” Dillion said. “Something that is common with all of them is they take other people’s opinions and their viewpoints into consideration.”
There is a wide variety of student leaders throughout the school who want to make a difference in their own way.
Snowflake:
Snowflake is a night where Hawthorn Middle North and South combine and students have the opportunity to learn about prevention and wellness. Every year, sophomore, junior and senior VHHS students can volunteer to be group leaders and guide the middle schoolers through fun get-to-know-you activities and games that relate to the main theme of the night.
Nate Reckers (12) decided to become a Snowflake leader because he wanted to make sure the middle schoolers had the same experience he did when he was in middle school.
“When I did [Snowflake] in middle school, it was a good experience, so giving back and doing that again was something I wanted to do,” Reckers said.
Although he said he knew there were some middle schoolers who only went to escape boredom, he was able to see that there were students who actually wanted to gain something out of Snowflake.
“[I was] inspired to look at the bigger picture and care more for those who are advocating for themselves,” Reckers said.
Ashlie DiCarlo (11) participated in Snowflake as a 7th grader, and the main thing she remembered was how much she loved her student leaders, so she wanted to be a good leader just as they were for her.
“I wanted to be a Snowflake leader because I wanted to connect with our community’s youth on a personal level,” DiCarlo said in an email interview.
Even though her previous student leaders were great role models to her when she was a middle schooler, she said that the staff she was paired with also taught her a lot about leadership.
“I learned from them that it’s okay to be new to something and to figure it out on your feet,” DiCarlo said in the email. “Not everything needs to be perfect and set right from the get go.”
DiCarlo realized that even though she is a highschool student, she can still make a difference in people’s lives. She noticed that her goal of connecting with the community’s youth was accomplished when a middle schooler was able to push themselves out of their comfort zone after making a personal connection with her.
Student Council:
Activities for our school, like Homecoming and various volunteering opportunities, are put together by each grade’s Student Council and Student Council Executive Board.
Caden Psaras (12), executive board president, has learned how to be a leader ever since his freshman year during COVID.
“I ran for student council because I wanted to try something new, and I wasn’t really good at anything; I’m not great at any sport — I’ve never really had my niche,” Psaras said, “One thing I was really good at was creativity, so I figured student council was the perfect place for me to display my creativity.”
Psaras uses his leadership skills for good. One example of this is by letting strangers sit with him during lunch if they have no other place to go. Something he was able to assemble was this year’s ‘senior sunset’ at Century Park, which he wanted to do to keep the tradition going for his peers.
Psaras wants people to realize that just because students choose to be leaders does not mean they are doing it just for the title of student council.
“What’s special about our school is it’s not just a popularity contest, it’s people who actually do care,” Psaras said.
Psaras feels like traditionally student leaders are seen as extroverted or overly social, but he feels like he is more of a shy person. However, that doesn’t stop him from being a student leader.
“I definitely have been able to relate to a lot of people in a way because I’m able to connect with them,” Psaras said.
By connecting with others throughout the school, he has learned what the students want and he is able to communicate with the rest of the student council and build off of the opinions he heard.
“At the end of the day, we are all human. Just because we are a part of these activities and roles that people deem to be important, it doesn’t mean we are any better than anyone else,” Psaras said.
Arielle Gluck (11) has been a part of the student council since middle school. As a student leader, she feels like it is important to step up and be a leader everywhere she goes.
“You kind of have to be the one to step up, and I feel like if you do the talking, then other people will stand up too and follow your example,” Gluck said.
Gluck also values supporting other clubs or organizations put together by the school. As a student council member, she knows that she is a role model to the school. By having other students see her go to school events, she hopes to see more people of all grades at the events that they work hard to plan.
Team Captains:
Elyse Davis (12) is the Girls’ Varsity Basketball team captain. In her first year being a captain, she has realized that communication is one of the most powerful traits a team can have. Her leadership styles consist of making sure all of her teammates understand what they can do to improve their skills.
“I want us to have a successful season…I want us to keep pushing and getting better every single day,” Davis said. “I want everyone to just feel connected and not separated and have fun.”
She said that starting off the season was difficult, but she was able to pick it back up by trying to include everyone in both practices and games.
“During games, it’s very frantic and hectic, and I want to be able to communicate with them and show them that I care and we can do it,” Davis said.
Jack McGowean (12) is the Boys’ Wrestling team captain. With his 12 years of previous wrestling experience, he wants to use his skills in the most beneficial way he can for his team.
“[I try to do] whatever they need me to do to help them out, they [can] practice with me or [I’ll give them] some tips,” McGowean said.
Before he became captain, he was aware of the responsibilities that come along with having this leadership role in his athletic career.
“If you know what you’re doing and you wrestle hard and you’re there everyday on time ready to work, then you deserve to be captain,” McGowean said.
He said that it took time to build his leadership skills and to learn what leadership is all about. In the beginning, he thought it was mainly about leading the team through warm-ups or activities, but once he became captain, he realized that there is so much more to it.
“It’s not about how good you are; it’s about your personality and how hard you work,” McGowean said.
Eli Spivak (12) is the Boys’ Swim team captain. Prior to being a captain, he already had leadership experience from coaching swim for kids.
On the boys swim and dive team, there are a total of four captains, each person having their own responsibilities. Spivak’s responsibility is to share his passion for the sport with other players to help motivate them.
As a team captain, he has learned the importance of caring for all of his teammates and setting an example for the possible future captains.
“You need to understand that you are the person that a lot of people look up to, and you need to set a proper example,” Spivak said.
Radhika Joshi, Girls’ Varsity badminton coach, looks for good team captains before the season starts, and even though the badminton season doesn’t start until the spring, she is always on the lookout for positive students throughout the year who have captain potential.
“You see them walking in the hallways, you see them talking to other kids, talking positively, getting reactions from other students,” Joshi said. “There are a lot of other ways you can notice the students.”
One of the number one traits she looks for in a team captain is someone who is hardworking at everything they do.
Joshi describes a captain as, “The person who brings the positivity to the team and, regardless of talent, is always working hard”.
To Joshi, a captain isn’t a coach; a captain is the team’s best friend. No matter if everyone loses, she wants the captain to be the positivity of the team and to inspire their teammates to work harder so they can win at the next competition.
Paul Brettner, head coach of girls basketball, is also a coach who looks for positivity. To him, a captain is someone who is empowering for the team, whether that is by helping teammates build their skills or having a personal connection with them.
“You need to be vocal in a positive way, critical in a positive way, [and you need] to relate somehow with each member of the team,” Brettner said.
When choosing the right captain, he doesn’t look too much for skill; instead, he looks for a role model — an individual who makes everyone feel good about themselves, even if they have lost.
“If your leadership style is leading by example, then I think there are some skills that need to be developed in other areas of leadership,” Brettner said.