Freshmen are completing their first year of high school. President Karla Duque and Vice President Avery Vece share their experiences as class officers of the class of 2026. They have discussed with the Secretary, Addy Reed, and Advisers Liz Criscuolo, and Noelle Pollard to discuss their plans for the freshman class. They have worked together to fundraise and guide the freshman class to a successful year.

Karla and Avery’s goals are to raise money for future events and to successfully lead the freshman class. The money raised helps support the junior and senior prom. Prom can be costly, with thousands of dollars being spent on junior and senior year prom. A major goal that was set was that they wanted to make prom tickets affordable. With the cost of dresses and suits, the price of prom tickets shouldn’t be a major addition. The freshman class officers took part in the class meeting with all of the class officers from each grade and discussed their fundraiser. They have worked together to sell candy apples to raise money. At Swoosh for Change, they had a fundraising table set up with posters and handed out order forms. Karla said, “If each person in the class contributes even a little bit, we can work together as a team and raise enough money for prom.”

“The shift from Eliot to Morgan Student Government was not what we were expecting,” said Avery. In Eliot, it was not as big of a responsibility as it is in Morgan. In Eliot, the majority of student government was thinking of spirit week. At Eliot and Morgan, there are meetings held with each grade’s officers. Karla said, “It is a very big responsibility that we didn’t know much about, but I think we pulled through.” They worked outside of school to fundraise and support the class, including creating posters and brainstorming ideas.

Being a class officer includes having responsibility and courage. Avery said, “You need to get your voice out when fundraising, and stepping out of your comfort zone is important. Being a leader and having a voice is a big role in student government. It is more than a title, and putting in the work pays off.” At an assembly for the freshman class, they discussed the purpose of fundraising and explained how it works. Treasurer, Addy Reed handed out order forms to the whole class. They have gotten a lot of orders and support as a result of the assembly. Karla said, “Running for student government helped me grow as a person, and overall it is an enjoyable experience. I suggest stepping out of your comfort zone, you won’t regret it.”