If given the opportunity to grow in leadership, would you take it?
These girls did.
From January 18 through 20, the SSA Student Council, also known as STUCO, attended LASC, or the Louisiana Association of Student Councils. The girls spent the weekend learning what it means to be a true leader and collaborating with student council members from different schools all over Louisiana. The students who attended were all members of STUCO: freshmen Molly Berrigan and Sophia Caudrado; sophomores Mary Claire Cowley and Mariana Orenjera; juniors Olivia Adams, Mary Miller Kitchen, Helen Sandoz and Maleah Toce; and seniors Riley Fitzmorris (2024 district president) and Ayushi Purohit.
I interviewed two of the attendees, Helen Sandoz and Ayushi Purohit, who offered me a valuable insight into what LASC is like and what lessons they took from the weekend.
So what actually is LASC, anyway?
According to Purohit, “LASC is a student-led organization focusing on leadership within student council. They put on a state conference and workshop every year, allowing students from a variety of high schools and middle schools to participate in and listen to student exchanges, workshops, speakers, and various fun activities.”
LASC allows and encourages collaboration among students all across the state and teaches skills that are invaluable for leadership. Students who attend are able to experience different perspectives and methods of how to be a great leader.
What do you do/learn at LASC?
There are a variety of different events at LASC. These include workshops, keynote speakers, and even a neon lights dance. The girls who attended the weekend were able to learn many valuable lessons and grow as Student Council officers. Sandoz stated, “While at LASC, I heard ideas from all different kinds of people, and it helped open my eyes to other points of view. Different people like different activities, and it’s important to recognize that in order to include everyone.”
Are there any important lessons/takeaways from the weekend that could be applied to daily life outside of Student Council?
As a matter of fact, there are! As Sandoz said, each year LASC takes on a different theme. This year, it was “Lights on Leadership.” The theme emphasized the importance of being a light even in the darkness. It comes from the analogy that even miles away in the dark, you can still see a lit candle. “Just like this one light,” said Sandoz, “all it takes is one spark to light up another person’s day, week, or year. If you can learn to be that light even in darkness, you can cause a monumental change in your community.”
The theme wasn’t the only major takeaway from the weekend. LASC also taught just how valuable adapting to changes and cooperating with others can be. In order to be a good leader, you have to be able to listen to the people around you, and understand their perspectives.
And, of course, the lessons taught at LASC don’t apply only to Student Council. Leadership and teamwork skills can be valuable no matter what you do in life—through sports, extracurriculars, and even in the classroom.
What was it like to be able to meet student council officers from other schools? Did the peer-to-peer collaboration offer a unique perspective on how to approach certain situations?
Being able to work alongside peers they might not have been able to meet otherwise served as an invaluable opportunity for STUCO . They were able to learn strategies and gain ideas that they did not have before through watching other Student Councils in action.
In particular, Sandoz mentioned that seeing the differences between SSA, an all girl’s private school, and co-ed schools was very interesting. This exchange of perspectives is something unique to LASC, and it is yet another reason why the convention is such a remarkable event.
Any closing remarks or comments?
Purohit stated, “The experience really highlights that there’s no single way to lead. It shows you that leadership comes in many forms. Seeing different leadership styles in action reinforces the idea that effective leadership is about authenticity and playing to your strengths.”
Both Ayushi Purohit and Helen Sandoz remarked that they highly recommend going to LASC if given the opportunity!
