Wise Words From Our Presidents: Clubs and Councils

By: Alexandria Ioannou & Madison So

2019-2020 was definitely a school year for the books! Many notable events occurred, many lifestyles changed, and most of all, there were many instances where school spirit was shown. This would not have happened without the amazing events that St. Augustine’s clubs, councils, and committees worked incredibly hard to organize! We were fortunate to have been able to interview our school’s student leaders to learn more about their experiences and to gain some insight on their respective clubs, committees, and councils.

Here’s what the 2019-2020 presidents of St. Augustine’s clubs and councils had to say!

Clubs and Councils Featured: Student Administrative Council (SAC), Athletic Council, OSAID, DECA, Our Roots

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1. During your experience with your club/council, what was your favourite memory?

My favourite memory would probably be the Halloween carving contest. I remember Jonathan and I driving about three hours total to go pick up a ton of pumpkins from a farm that was willing to donate them. At first, I wondered if it was going to be worth it, but as soon as I saw the creative and unique pumpkins each class produced I felt so happy and rewarded. My ultimate goal with the council was just to see more involvement in our school and that was the moment where I truly felt like I had made an impact. — Avery Selby, Gr. 12, SAC President

With many amazing events hosted by SAC this year, it’s definitely tough to choose one in particular. But if I had to, it would be the Christmas Spirit Week. Maybe I’m partial because Christmas is my favourite holiday but I was really proud of SAC’s work in planning, organizing, and delivering a whole week of fun activities. From competitive door decorating to pictures with Santa, the team worked hard for weeks to ensure that we did as much as we could to give all the students a spirited send-off to the break. Seeing the success of the event through the enjoyment of the student body was the highlight of it all. I believe that all of SAC would agree that seeing students involved in the events we host is the reason we continue to do what we do. — Jonathan Woo, Gr. 12, SAC Vice President

The memory that stands out the most for me was when our council was invited to host the annual Drug and Alcohol Awareness (DAW) Conference at the YCDSB headquarters in February 2019 for OSAID councils across the board. As a team, we worked for about five months to connect with guest speakers, workshop leaders, and community partners to look for info booths, while managing RSVPs, planning snacks and lunch for the day, and preparing interactive activities such as Kahoot, to be run by our council members. It was a lot of work, but I’m glad I had this opportunity because it was completely worth it – we got to meet so many like-minded students, be inspired by guest speakers, and it was my first time organizing an event as big as this, so I learned a lot about leadership along the way. — Caitlin Kwan, Gr. 12, OSAID Co-President

My favourite memory was back in 2019 when we hosted the Drug and Alcohol Awareness (DAW) Conference at the school board. We poured in so much time and effort into the conference and seeing all our efforts come to fruition was the unforgettable. — Beverley Yap, Gr. 12, OSAID Co-President

I think I can speak for both Akash and myself when I say that DECA was one of the most worthwhile experiences that either one of us has been apart of. My best memory of DECA would not necessarily be a single moment; but instead it being seeing the process that each member made and seeing the members even surprising themselves and seeing how much they can accomplish. — Mellisa Ing, Gr. 12, DECA Co-President

By far, my greatest memory of DECA was seeing the chapter at the regional competition. At this competition, I witnessed everyone from veteran DECA participants, to new members who had little experience in the business world compete passionately for a spot at the provincial competition. It was truly a rewarding sight to see the St. Augustine DECA chapter tackle the competition with such enthusiasm and energy. Additionally, as an executive, it gave me great joy to see our chapter’s dedication to learning new insights into the world of business finally pay off. — Akash Vijayakumar, Gr.12, DECA Co-President

During my experience as Our Roots co-president, creating the Black History Month poster we hanged on Ms. Iorio’s classroom door, while singing along to songs from the early 2000s with members of Our Roots is my favourite memory. — Andrea Djan-Anokye, Gr. 12, Our Roots Co-President

As Our Roots’ Co-President, my favorite memory this year must be our first meeting of the year in December where we got together and discussed our cultural Christmas traditions over Christmas cookies. — Gabrielle Dumé, Gr. 11, Our Roots Co-President

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2. If you could describe your club/council in one word, what would it be and why?

To describe SAC in one word is an understatement because it is so much more than just one thing. If I had to try though, the word would probably be community. We work together as students of every grade and promote collaboration within our school. We focus on school spirit, pride, and leadership but we are mainly focused on building our SACHS community to be as amazing and positive as possible. — Avery Selby, Gr. 12, SAC President

Dedicated. Through meetings, self-directed initiatives, and the contributions of every SAC member, it is very apparent why each member of the council put themselves out there to achieve their current positions. Everyone is dedicated to listening to the student body, implementing their suggestions, and following our mission statement: “Student Administrative Council (S.A.C.), as a facilitator of student government, aims to represent the entire student body’s best interests and any concerns they may have, as well as improve the students’ school experience and promote student leadership.” That is why it has been a privilege to be a part of such a dedicated group. — Jonathan Woo, Gr. 12, SAC Vice President

If I could describe Athletic Council as a council in one word it would be welcoming. I feel as though our members are always inclusive and trying to strengthen the sense of community within the St. Augustine student body. Whether it be at our events or an event run by someone else we always try to let everyone know that they’re a valued member of the St. Augustine family. — Nikita Gupta, Gr. 12, Athletic Council President

Dynamic! OSAID is a small council, which gives our members plenty of opportunities to communicate and bounce ideas off of each other. Each member of our council has something different to contribute. Each time we come together to work on a project or prepare for an event, we get things done efficiently because we all believe in what we’re working towards. My favourite part of meetings is checking in with each subcommittee for this reason; we may have a diverse range of ideas, but our passion is present in each project we work on. — Caitlin Kwan, Gr. 12, OSAID Co-President

If I were to describe OSAID in one word it’d be just that, OSAID! OSAID stands for Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving. This is what we all stand for and the reason we all came together. — Beverley Yap, Gr. 12, OSAID Co-President

Inspirational! This is the word that most accurately captures DECA for what it truly stands for. When competing in DECA, participants are not only forced to push beyond their comfort zone but are further exposed to the competitive world that is business. When surrounded by so many individuals from an array of interests ranging from sports, business, and the sciences, one cannot deny the various insights the competition fosters in its participants. Thus inspiring unique perspectives to topics one would have normally forgone. — Akash Vijayakumar, Gr.12, DECA Co-President

If I could describe our Roots in one word it would be “celebratory” because the goal of our Roots is to educate and celebrate people’s ethnic background from St A. — Gabrielle Dumé, Gr. 11, Our Roots Co-President

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3. What does your club/council mean to you?

Being the facilitator of student government, SAC has perhaps the most responsibility of all clubs, councils, and committees at St. Augustine. Along with planning events with the entire student population in mind, we actively address student inquiries. The input of students is abundantly important to our operations, and that is why we often make polls for student suggestions. This requires leadership in all sectors of SAC and time after time, each one of our members show that they model strong leaders. — Jonathan Woo, Gr. 12, SAC Vice President

To me, Athletic Council is like a second family. I first joined in the ninth grade and since then I have become close with a lot of students in different grades. Athletic Council is a big factor in why I have grown to love the St. Augustine community. — Nikita Gupta, Gr. 12, Athletic Council President

To me, OSAID was an opportunity to make connections with people and develop my leadership. When I was first interviewed for the council in Grade 9, I imagined what it’d be like to be on the exec team. Now that I’m the co-president of OSAID, I have a lot of responsibility, but it’s also a lot of fun! My position allows me to have a voice in the school and help implement the change I wish to see in our community. On top of getting to know many fellow council members over the past four years, I felt like I’ve helped make a difference. — Caitlin Kwan, Gr. 12, OSAID Co-President

OSAID is just like one big family to me. After our Christmas initiatives, we all came together after school to watch a movie and eat! — Beverley Yap, Gr. 12, OSAID Co-President

I’ve been on DECA for over three years now and it’s definitely been a part in shaping my high school journey. It’s been a very big part in being more confident in myself and improving my communication skills! — Mellisa Ing, Gr. 12, DECA Co-President

Personally, DECA was one of my first experiences with the business world. It was through this club that I not only furthered my business knowledge but created many meaningful relationships with my fellow competitors. Additionally, it taught me the importance of collaboration, and teamwork as we are all working towards a common goal. These skills and connections will surely last me a lifetime and will be applicable to not only my academic career but my professional career as well. — Akash Vijayakumar, Gr.12, DECA Co-President

To me, Our Roots means a step forward to change and equality. A quote by Maya Angelou states, “If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going.” I  believe in order for there to be a change in our society; we must look back at our history and reflect on things that were done right and wrong in the past and think about ways we can change the world starting with ourselves. — Andrea Djan-Anokye, Gr. 12, Our Roots Co-President

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4. What is one thing you learned while being a leader?

One thing I learned while leading SAC is that not everything always goes as planned and you have to be flexible and learn to adapt. For one of our events, our ice cream truck had mechanical issues on its way over so we had to quickly find a new truck before the event ended. Again we had to use those skills currently, during this time away from school. Student council had some great plans for these months but obviously we had to adjust yet still find a way to feel connected with the students but online. — Avery Selby, Gr. 12, SAC President

While leading Athletic Council I have had the opportunity to work alongside many students, which has allowed me to learn how talented and creative the students at our school are. — Nikita Gupta, Gr. 12, Athletic Council President

What agendas, minutes and proposals are, and how to write them. Before OSAID I had no knowledge whatsoever on administrative duties and responsibilities. I would like to give a big thanks to our secretaries because I would constantly forget to do things. — Beverley Yap, Gr. 12, OSAID Co-President

Something very important I’ve learned this past year is balance. I think holding this role within DECA has allowed me to work on prioritizing what must be done and working towards creating a balance between my social life, family, and academics. — Mellisa Ing, Gr. 12, DECA Co-President

One thing I have learned while leading the DECA chapter is the importance of practice and repetition. I have seen countless members, myself included, begin their DECA journey as novice presenters, who had little experience in case presentations. However, as they repeatedly practised throughout the competition, their confidence and presentation skills grew tremendously. Teaching me, that the most effective and practical way to learn or develop a new skill is through practice and repetition. — Akash Vijayakumar, Gr.12, DECA Co-President

One thing I have learned while leading Our Roots is understanding people’s perspectives of the world. — Andrea Djan-Anokye, Gr. 12, Our Roots Co-President

One thing that I have learned leading our roots is that there is a lot of work that goes into running a club. Dedication and passion are very important things to have when becoming a leader. — Gabrielle Dumé, Gr. 11, Our Roots Co-President

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5. As the 2019-2020 president/vice president, do you have any words of advice for future members and presidents?

Every council member or president will have a different goal for their impact on SAC, which I find amazing and what makes student council so great. One piece of advice I would give to all the future members would be to make sure their passion is heard. They shouldn’t be afraid to suggest an idea or want to take on more leadership. I hope every member truly makes an amazing impact at our school bringing their unique ideas to life. — Avery Selby, Gr. 12, SAC President

If you have an idea that you are really passionate for, stick to it. Discuss it with your team and teacher advisors. You might have to alter your plan to accommodate any restrictions, but make sure to not give up on it. Of course, hard work is going to be a part of the process but good things take time. — Jonathan Woo, Gr. 12, SAC Vice President

My advice for future members and presidents is to get as involved as you can with school-wide activities, because it’s amazing knowing that you were part of the team that hosted a fun event for the entire school! — Nikita Gupta, Gr. 12, Athletic Council President

I’m going to miss this school a lot! But to all the students thinking about joining but being too nervous or not knowing if they’re going into business, just do it! DECA is so much more than just a business competition, it’s an experience that you’ll remember for a very long time! And to the future presidents, good luck, enjoy your last year of high school and have fun!! — Mellisa Ing, Gr. 12, DECA Co-President

Yes! It sounds cliché, but honestly, your experience is only as beneficial as what you make of it. This goes for any commitment. I went into OSAID not knowing what to expect, but determined to give it my all and participate as much as I could. This goes with my answer to the previous question – taking initiative is really important. If you want to challenge yourself as a general member, ask your exec team if there’s anything extra you can help with, or any upcoming leadership opportunities. There’s always something to do! And if you’re on the executive team, strive to make your council better! Instead of running the same events from the previous year, do some research or connect (with other students or community partners) to see what kind of new events you can bring to St. A! — Caitlin Kwan, Gr. 12, OSAID Co-President

A piece of advice I would give for future members and presidents is that it’s okay to ask questions. I understand that race can be sensitive and hard to explain or know, but everything takes time and practice. It is essential to educate yourself about things going on around the world so you can answer questions and guide people to sources for more information. — Andrea Djan-Anokye, Gr. 12, Our Roots Co-President

To future members and leaders: always remember that this club is meant to break down ethnic barriers in our school by celebrating the things that make us different. — Gabrielle Dumé, Gr. 11, Our Roots Co-President

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These well-spoken words from some of St. Augustine’s student leaders will definitely be an inspiration to all. Whether they will be returning next year or not, we wish these presidents all the best in their future endeavours!

Next up, we have more leaders to hear from. Not only is St. Augustine filled with clubs and councils, but we also have many amazing committees as well! Tune in for “Wise Words From Our Presidents: Committees”, or click here to read the article!

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For more information on each club/council, check out their Instagram pages!