Name: Catherine Meyer
Grade next year: 12th

Why would you be a good candidate for this position?

I would be a good candidate for this position because:

• I am capable with managing council funds – I manage and earn my own money from babysitting so I have learned how to responsibly allocate and budget for both necessary things like food and train tickets, but also to things that I enjoy, like clothes etc. I know the value of the dollar, and also how to maximize the dollar. I would take these same skills into the role of treasurer, by making sure to allocate money to the necessary events for student council while saving funds for the enjoyable events that make our school as spirited as it is.
• I am mathematically qualified, and I would only become more qualified throughout my tenure as treasurer – I am in advanced math, next year I plan to take Econ, and I also plan to be a member of the Girls Who Invest Club which will be at Hackley next year.
• I am committed to everything I do – I will never go to bed early if I know I have work left to do, and I never miss a practice for my sports team. I would apply this same commitment to my role as treasurer, and create a budget that would be optimal for our community.
• I know what it is like to be in a leadership role – I have co-led our group project with PS81 elementary school and I have even gone to help set up some of their fundraising efforts in NYC. I would be able to apply the knowledge I have learned from experiences like these to my time as Treasurer, where I would raise funds for our budget to allow for more, better council events.
• I care about the community – I am proud to call myself a Hackley student, and I want to do my part in making the community as great as it can be. To me, this comes in the form of participating in Council to represent our community and helping to arrange community events.

What have you done for the Hackley Community?

I have done a lot of things for the Hackley community; I help co-lead our grade project where we go to PS81 every month (for the most part) with about 1/3 of our grade. In this endeavor for the Hackley Community, I have helped arrange multiple fundraising events, like the Dodgeball tournament, and have learned how to successfully raise funds with our student body. I recently assumed the role of Op-Ed Senior Editor for The Dial, placing me in a position to be the voice of The Dial’s Editorial Board and the Hackley student body as a whole in our publications. I have been an ambassador since my freshman year, so I come to almost every Open House to tell prospective students what the highlights of being a Hackley student are, including our council held events, which I would help ensure remain a highlight of being a member of the Hackley community in my time as Treasurer. I have been a member of the Varsity Field Hockey and Varsity Lacrosse teams, and these teams have brought Hackley many NYSAIS plaques, making it to the championship round every year. Even when I am not on the field, I always try to come to as many sporting events as I can. I have already been to 2 baseball games this season alone, and I enjoy watching others’ sporting events because I feel it is very important to support our peers and their talents. I also support the performing arts through attending plays and every performance held by the Acting class during lunch.

What are your goals if elected?

If elected, I plan to survey the student body once we decide what events we will have, and make sure that the student body’s favorite events are the ones that receive the most funding. If there are additions that would enhance the day to day life of the student body – adding a toaster, certain condiments in the lunchroom, getting some picnic blankets or lawn chairs for Akin, or anything else the student body would request, I would make sure to reserve or raise enough funds to do so. I also think it would be a great idea to have student-run businesses, or something similar scaled to the Hackley community. These “businesses” could be anything, like weekly Council-run pick-ups from Coffee Labs (or another local restaurant) with a designated weekday for each grade (depending on how popular it was, or it could be only one day for everyone). You could place your order on a Google Doc and once a week a Council member would pick them up for the Grille Room – with a small charge for delivering it. “Business”-like ventures (basically more continual ways of getting funding instead of just having a few designated fundraisers) would allow for even greater Hackley events, because they would create continuous income for council. If I was elected, my ultimate goal would be to make sure that every single Council event is successful and enjoyable for the entire student body, and that we could increase participation for these events to support our council, just like we support our peers in their sporting or artistic events.

Name: Salik Awan
Grade next year: 12th

Why would you be a good candidate for this position?

I believe that I would be a good candidate for this position because I am responsible and trustworthy. I always fulfill any promises and never disobey rules that have been put in place. For example, I have only received one DD in my time at Hackley and I received this DD only because I forgot to go to lunch duty on the first day back from winter break. Thus, I think that I would make responsible decisions that always reflect the views of council. Additionally, I have some experience with managing funds. Last summer, I did an internship at Jackson Lewis LLP where I helped my boss with payroll and reimbursement. I think that experience will help me greatly as I already understand the necessary level of commitment and responsibility involved with handling funds. Another reason that makes me a good candidate is that I am a friendly member of our community. I get along with almost everyone at Hackley and I think that that most people would have an easy time approaching me to ask a question or make a suggestion. An additional reason why I am suited for this position is that I’m an active member of this community. I am on 2 varsity sports, involved in the school orchestra, and an ambassador. Therefore, I think that I understand what the community enjoys, so I believe that I can provide insight in planning events. A final reason that makes me a good candidate is my experience on Council. This year I was class agent and I was able to learn how things work on Council. Furthermore, I’ve seen what things work well and what things don’t work as well, so it won’t be a difficult transition into the treasurer position. I am active member on council that always works hard and I always attend all Council events with enthusiasm. I even received council member of the week once this year, highlighting my commitment to Council.