Kayla Razavi, one of Skyline’s youngest students, has been elected Student Body President.
How does having a seventeen-year-old president help the community? Fresh perspective, enthusiasm, drive and ambition are just some of the ways.
After a year of participation as a senator in Skyline’s student government, Razavi decided to step up to the plate and run for a position with more responsibility and leadership.
“Why not go for president,” she said.
When asked about her favorite part of student council, Razavi said, “We became kind of a family this year. I love just having a place where I am able to make decisions for the school.” Describing herself as the type of person who puts others before herself, she talked about her excitement around making decisions which will affect students in a positive way.
Many of her council members feel the same way.
“As the new Vice President of the Student Council, I am looking forward to working with Kayla next year. I’m looking forward to work closely with Kayla to build a strong team to be able to represent the students the best as possible. We shall support each other to allow both of our goals to be fulfill,” said Priscilla Sanchez via email.
Skyline’s new Financial Commissioner, Andrea Garcia, felt similarly. “I am very excited to be working with Kayla in the upcoming school year! She has a lot of great ideas for the school and school activities. I’m sure that she will do a great job as president,” said Garcia via email.
“I want to be able to actually make a change… I want to watch Skyline grow and I want to be a part of that,” our new President said.
Razavi has been making positive changes for the people around her for many years, one example being her efforts with Help Kayla Help Victims. After Hurricane Katrina, she was determined to find a way to help the people who had no control over their fate and was able to do so beginning with fundraising through UNICEF.
“I have always been this motivated person that just wants to do something different and make a difference in other people’s lives. I like to get people together and start a movement, make a change.”
Razavi plans to take that motivation and apply it towards positive change for Skyline, she listed off three major changes she hopes to make; creating a dead week before finals, changing the menu in the cafeteria and hosting self-defense workshops.
“Seeing the student body suffering…I want to try and make it like the four years and how they have like a week off before finals. I think that would be awesome if we could get a dead week as well.” Razavi admits that this will be a challenge, even as a Student Body President, but she will give this effort her all.
Her next mission is to work with Pacific Dining and the food committee to create healthier, cheaper food options. This committee has been working to compose a list of cheap, creative meal ideas which Pacific Dining would be able to purchase ingredients for in bulk. The hope is to have some of these ideas implemented in next year’s food plans.
“The food thing is going to be one of the biggest obstacles because we are in a binding contract… they have full control over that department but we are going to try and work with them instead of against them because that’s really all we can do.”
Another major hope from our new Student Body President is to provide a place where students can learn self-defense techniques.
“Our campus is so like secluded from the parking lots…I just think it’s important that we are able to defend ourselves in case something happens.”
She also spoke of plans to host more social events such as mixers which would allow students to get to know each other better.
“I think it is really important and something we’re lacking as a community.”
Razavi also hopes to keep the ASSC community on the same page as she governs. “The past year we kind of had a lot of drama… I want to make sure that everyone is on the same page and that if anyone has a different opinion they’re not scared to speak out. We’re making decisions for the entire student body and it’s important that we all work together.”
She admits that last semester she didn’t voice her opinions as much but that student council has really helped her to find her voice.
“I think that’s so important and why students should join student government is because you learn to find your voice and through listening to other people’s opinions you form your own.” She went on to state how seriously she takes her position, “Something I want to stress at the beginning of the school year to the council that this is your job as being part of the student government you are the voice of students. It’s important that you don’t lose your voice in the crowd.”
Many students did have strong opinions about what they want to see from their next student elected President.
Alex Visico, a sophomore student at Skyline discussed his ideal candidate. “The qualities that I would appreciate to see in a student body president would be honor towards the standard of education on a collegiate level, respect towards the school, its faculty, and towards its students. Integrity, meaning that if a promise is made by the president I would want to see that promise either fulfilled or put into motion where it will be fulfilled in a finite amount of time.”
Another student, Tiffany Lee, had specific traits she looked for as well. “I would hope to see the student body president use the funds provided for not only extracurricular events, but also for providing more detailed information on the transfer process. For those who look forward to transferring would then find it easier as they are more prepared about the process.”
To anyone who might doubt her, Kayla says, “I hope that you guys can trust me and have faith in me that I will do everything that I said I will and even more than I have put out there. Just trust me. “
Kayla emphasized her desire to have a casual, open door relationship with her fellow students and does not want to be put on a pedestal.
“Feel free to talk to me whenever. I want to have office hours every week or every other week in the cafeteria so that I can be a part of what’s going on on campus and just don’t hesitate to talk to me about any concerns you have.”
