Manny Chizer, the new Freshman Treasurer said that he chose to be in student government “because I felt like stepping up as a leader to help the new incoming students into Armijo. I started student government this year.” When he campaigned in September, he decided that the best method was face-to-face “so I decided to go up to my other classmates and just got to know them better… and when it came time to vote I already knew more than half of the class.”

As treasurer, his role will be to be in charge of maintaining the budget. His original goal was to become vice president of the Class of 2025, but fate intervened. Now he is hoping that, when he goes to college, he can continue to be part of student government.

“Not everybody can just become an officer that quickly,” said Chizer, but for those who are pursuing that track, it is a great thing. “That represents them breaking out of their shell and doing something they might not feel comfortable with just yet… Take risks and opportunities that will shape you into the person you want to be.”

His involvement at Armijo is already taking shape as he is on the International Baccalaureate (IB) track and plays on the water polo team. Outside of school, he enjoys playing basketball and video games, swimming, and spending time with friends.

“When I graduate from high school, my first action will be to look into colleges/universities, but my main goal is to become an entrepreneur and sell houses… If I do go to college, computer hardware engineering would be the way to go because I’m really interested in computers and technology,” he said.

While his position as a class officer does give him some power, he said that one thing he would like to see changed is “the level of homework given to us. I’M SERIOUS!” he said. “I have heard on multiple occasions that people drop certain extracurriculars in order to maintain an acceptable grade in a specific class or vice versa. These teachers need to understand that we have lives outside of school and not everything can be packed into our schedule. I have siblings in college tell me, ‘Pick two: sleep, social life, and school work.’” 

Chizer is the middle child in his family, with a 12-year old brother named Harshay and a 29-year old brother named Justin (29 years old). “My role models are definitely my older cousin Jasmine and my Uncle Amit,” he said. “They have taught me a lot of what I know today and they have pointed me in the right direction, which I think will make me more successful.”