After two months of planning and preparation for their campaign, councils from across Texas elected Legacy Student Council to the Texas Association of Student Councils (TASC) board on April 23 at the High School Annual Conference in Irving, TX. Junior Claire Carney will represent the group as the state secretary at all state events and meetings throughout their term.
“I’ve loved getting to connect with students from across the state at the different events we attended over the past year,” Carney said. “Serving on the board opens up a lot of opportunities for me to connect with even more students and make an impact on an organization that is so much bigger than just me.”
As the secretary school, the council will manage balloting and voting for the state elections, coordinate the Top Video project, and present projects at the Advisor Workshop, Middle-Level Annual Conference and High School Annual Conference. The group ran on the platform “Seeing Ghosts,” aimed to empower students and ensure their voices are heard. The campaign targeted students who aren’t involved in on-campus activities and students who may suffer mental health issues or abuse outside of school.
“There are a lot of students that don’t have a support group, and I don’t want anyone to have to go through life alone. The issues in our platform can be found in every school, and something we can change by taking advantage of the opportunities that we have to connect with these students,” Carney said. “We can make a difference in their lives personally, and with that, we can really boost the morale of the school in general.”
The group will present its platform this summer at the State Steering Committee Retreat, where a platform and state project will be chosen to align all councils throughout the state with a common goal.
“Even if our platform is not chosen, we have created some great ideas and some plans to help our platform be integrated on our campus and to begin looking at and connecting with people who may go unseen,” Ms. Kenna Cavnar, student council advisor said. “I’m really proud of our council’s effort, the hard work and the hours of labor and preparation it took to undertake this campaign.”
Student council is also the newly-elected District 3 President and previously served as the 2022 State Conference Host, 2021 State Conference Host and District 3 President in 2019. As the state secretary, they will serve a one-year term, beginning after the annual conference, and ending at the annual conference in 2024.
“I think the platform they ran on was great,” Dr. Stephanie Bonneau, principal, said. “It’s about recognizing all of the students, making sure that nobody’s invisible on campus, making sure everyone knows that there’s someone that recognizes and enjoys them being here.”
TASC works closely with other state education associations, like the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB). Dr. Bonneau supported the council in their race for secretary and looks forward to the recognition the position will bring to the campus.
“What a lot of people don’t realize is that the TASC and TASB overlap a lot, so when you have a campus that’s involved at the state level, it’s more than just the other student council directors that recognize you. Because they’re woven together, it really gets our
campus out there on a much bigger platform,” Dr. Bonneau said. “We do really cool things on this campus, and what we don’t always do is tell that story. Every time we can get our kids out there, doing what they love, that’s good for us, and it’s good for students.
To run for office, the council submitted an intent to run, created a platform, planned and presented a skit relating to the platform, prepared and presented a speech, and prepared a booth for students and advisors to visit at the annual conference. The students were entirely responsible for each element, from building and painting a modular set to writing and choreographing the skit.
“This campaign was something that I never could have done on my own,” Carney said. “I am beyond grateful for my council and their unwavering support. They have truly become my second family, and I couldn’t ask for better people to create change with.”
