LEAD creates cohesiveness and inclusivity for students

By Katy Nguyen

Associated Student Body recruiting new members at Club Rush 2.0. Photo by Justin Hsieh.

If you love attending school events, such as Bell Week, sports games, Winter Formal and assemblies, why not help organize them? This upcoming school year, a newly established club called Leadership Exploration and Development (LEAD) will take action on our campus and grant you the opportunity to give back to students.

LEAD will be replacing Senate and rade level commissions, which were clubs designed solely to assist the Associated Student Body (ASB) and assist specific grade-level events, respectively. ASB intends for LEAD to be a more inclusive and cohesive group of students working together on campus.

“With LEAD, all grade levels are now designed and encouraged to plan and execute events specifically targeted towards their grade,” ASB Parliamentarian Jake Tran said. “With administration and former advisors, the decision was made as we believe a collective ‘leadership’ club, like LEAD, would be most beneficial in order to achieve the purpose of giving back to the school and student body.”

The organizational structure of LEAD is completely unique to past leadership programs and will be a club that will not interfere with class schedule. Based on an event rotation system, LEAD will allow students of all grade levels to “shadow” events that occur during the school year. The program will also include a points system where LEAD members earn based on involvement and participation.

“This [new system] gives students the opportunity and teaches them the skills to be well-rounded leaders, as well as having the chance to see the behind-the-scenes of all our events,” Tran said.

LEAD hopes to give back to students as much as possible by working around the current COVID-19 situation. The club plans to create more equal and inclusive opportunities for students across grade levels, according to Tran.

“Despite our situation with COVID-19, our work should not be dampened, but rather capitalized and taken advantage of when it is safe to do so,” Tran said.

In the upcoming year, LEAD general members can expect to help plan school-wide events and fundraise for their own grade levels to create a memorable year for all FVHS students.

“With a larger membership and students representing each grade, LEAD is then exceedingly beneficial to our school as the students would have an increasingly pertinent say in what goes on, as well as a more accurate consensus of what students like and dislike,” Tran said.

Students who are interested in applying for LEAD can apply at bit.ly/LEADApp21. Applications are due July 31 at 11:59 p.m. Contact fvhslead@gmail.com if you have any further questions.