Our Junior Class officers look a little different this year

Class officers are the students who make the school go round. While they are usually assigned positions – president, vice president, secretary and treasurer – COVID-19 has blurred the lines and rather than have specific titles, Leadership adviser Casey Towner agreed with his students who suggested the candidates serve as a unit. Together, each class has a squad of officers without specific titles.
Normally, the officers would have specific tasks involved in planning and running homecoming meetings and bi-weekly meetings with their grade-level class, organizing the senior skit and implementing fundraising, but all of that requires more human contact than the pandemic allows.
General class officers, instead, are learning the ropes with the idea of serving in specific offices in the future. The junior class has a handful of students who potentially will serve in specific positions in their senior year.

Olivia Kolakoski is in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and has been in leadership since her freshman year. She was committee head for Student Body Betterment and has helped with the Armijo-Crystal buddy program. As a junior, she decided she would like to take on a more active role in leadership.
Her goal in serving was to focus on planning fundraisers that would help develop senior bonding activities for next year.

Juliana Delmendo was Freshman President and served as Committee Head for the Leadership Holiday, Night Rally and Special Ed Relations committees.
She also joined Leadership as a freshman and is passionate about the program. She’s easy to find as she has so much school spirit and is at every event, her creativity and open attitude.
Her current occupation is a hostess so she knows how to deal with diverse people and situations.

Daniela Gonzalez has had many positions since ninth grade. In Leadership, she served on the Decision Day committee and was involved with the Club Fair committee. She was also the co-founder of the Skate for Change Club at Armijo and involved with the International Club.
When she was considering running for office, Gonzalez expressed her desire to make sure everyone has a say, whether it be in class meetings or outside of school on social media. For those who are not as vocal, she suggested surveys so everyone can send feedback and improve together.

Zhenman “Max” Shen has been part of Leadership since fall of 2018 and has been involved in clubs and sports in leadership positions. He currently serves as president of the Guitar Club and was Junior Varsity (JV) captain for the football team.
Outside of school, he continued exercising his leadership skills. In his Boy Scout troop he was Senior Patrol Leader, overseeing all aspects of the troop and leading events, even during the COVID lockdown.
He wants to carry that experience forward to create a fun and engaging environment for Armijo students. He’s very passionate about creating bonds and memorable experiences that everyone that those involved will look back and reminisce about them.

Jarvis Ferguson describes himself as “someone who’s open minded, a team player and very outgoing.” He said that he loves to make people smile and bring joy into their life and is willing to put anyone’s needs before his own. He tends to get work done where it needs to be and has a lot of leadership experience outside of school. On campus, he is president of the Psychology Club where he teaches different topics. He is also president in the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Club and the International Club, as well as a representative for the Theatre Club. Outside of school, he volunteers as a Big Brother for those in foster care.

Mariyam Oladele, in her three years on leadership, has been part of the committees for Special Ed Basketball, Special Ed Relations, and the backdrops for the football homecoming. She is a goal-oriented individual who pushes through until she achieves what might seem impossible.
For as long as she can remember, Special Education has had a special place in her heart. She wants to continue to spread the love and compassion she’s seen in retired teacher Ms. Lynn Lee, and it’s something she thinks she can achieve next year as either a senior class officer or an ASB officer.

Kennedie Edejer served on the Trunk or Treat committee head in 2020 and contributes to the Girls’ Tennis Team as captain, but she also serves outside of school as a gymnastics coach. She is definitely passionate about Armijo and how far as a school we have come. She brings a positive attitude to not only leadership but to all her classes and strives to make everyone feel included no matter who you are.
Leadership has allowed Edejer to express herself freely and the pandemic has strengthened her interest in improving both class engagement mental health. While class engagement was never a problem for her, she believes it’s an important topic with since students sitting in front of computers all day.

For mental health she believes it’s not just an issue for the class of 2022, but for the whole school as online school. As an officer for the junior class, Edejer wants to help everyone and be there for everyone which makes her another amazing candidate.
It has not been easy to serve during a pandemic, but these members of the junior class have dealt with the sacrifices, hoping to be prepared to serve as senior class and ASB officers in the fall. That decision should be made this spring if elections are allowed to take place as they traditionally have in years past.