As I shared in my last blog post about Student Government at ND, I was always infatuated with the idea of getting involved with government on campus. From Lyons Hall Representative to Class Secretary only within my Freshman year to later becoming Class Vice President, my journey through Class Council is one that I will hold dearly as extremely memorable during my time at Notre Dame.
The journey to being VP was probably the most interesting part of this story. I was studying for my finals Freshman year, when my classmate (now incredible friend) Paul Stoller himself came up to me and asked me to run with him as his VP. Not only was I taken aback by the request, but I hadn’t thought of who I was going to be running with. So, out of pure panic, I surprisingly said no. Fast forward 4 months and here I am, calling Paul telling him I had changed my mind and if he would have me, I would be more than happy to run by his side.
The whole campaigning process was, as an understatement, so stressful. Starting with the petitioning period, there were 6 possible tickets running against us, but once this period was over, we were down to 3 tickets running against us. After talking with previous Class Council officers, every conversation mentioned that Sophomore year elections were the most difficult ones, so I knew we were in for a treat. After weeks of campaigning and down to the election, it was an absolute shock by the majority that we had won the election. It was one of the most rewarding experiences and I was so excited to get our plans into action the next year.
Throughout our sophomore year, we planned so many incredible events for our class. From Class Yoga, Christmas Karaoke, and a Sophomore Appreciation Week, each event brought so much fulfillment that we were finding a way to serve our class and provide opportunities for us to spend time together. By far, our most noteworthy event was our Re-Do Weekend, especially PROM! As 2020 high school graduates, we all know what we went through, so I won’t even mention it. After an unusual freshman year, we were so excited to get back to normal and bring back an event that we all wish we could’ve attended. What better way to celebrate our Prom night than with our new friends that will be with us for the rest of our lives. Prom was an absolute success. We sold out our dance in under 2 minutes (an unprecedented record!) and got to spend a wonderful evening with the class. Happy and proud were not to describe the joy and full heart that the success of this event gave me, making it a wonderful way to wrap up my time as VP.
While I am no longer serving as VP this year due to going abroad, (stay tuned for a blog post about my time!) I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve, learn, and grow in this role. Being so involved with the Notre Dame community and getting to witness the effects that a leadership position has first hand has given me a new perspective on what it means to commit your whole self into something that affects you beyond your feelings. Rush Class Council always!