Meet Your 2020 Student Body Candidates, Alexandria and Kirin
Disclaimer: The Pixel Journal’s articles do not reflect endorsement of particular student government candidates. These articles are only meant to provide the student body with additional information about the candidates. Happy voting!
As elections are right around the corner, let’s get to know Alexandria T. and Kirin K., who are running together for student body president and vice president!
Why did you choose to run for Student Body President and Vice President?
Alexandria: During my time here at OHS, I have truly come to love our community. I really appreciate being able to communicate and connect with students all over the world. I want to be an even more active member in these connections. Over the past year, I have worked actively in the OHS community both as Junior Class VP, UNICEF Club President, and Duolingo Club Leader, and I have noticed how there... In the OHS community, there are students across the world, and because of this, they feel sort of disconnected. But this shouldn’t be the case. We should be able to unite together. And, because OHS has given me so many great friends, I want to make sure all OHSers have this opportunity as well. It is important that we realize that the unique challenges that OHS brings are actually just opportunities to grow closer together. I am running in order to help us come together as a community. We should support each other, both academically and socially.
Kirin: Stanford OHS is an incredible place with one of the most talented and caring communities I've ever had the pleasure of being a part of. OHSers dream big. We're filled with some of the world's best in fencing, coding, ice skating, astronomy, and so many other fields. None of these pursuits are easy. I'm running for Student Body Vice President to make the school a better place for Pixels to succeed in making their dreams a reality. The student body has many needs, and that's why I'm aggressively pushing for improvements in every aspect of student life. I want to streamline the entire academic experience, promote both online and in-person social opportunities, and help clubs connect people with their passions. If given the chance, I'd be honored to serve the school.
The mission of Stanford Online High School is “to create a worldwide learning community of diverse, intellectually passionate students and teachers.” How do you plan on furthering the mission statement?
OHS is already so full of passionate teachers and students. But it is time that our world-wide community becomes a little closer. Kirin and I have come up with assemblies and events that will attract students from everywhere, and they will be at convenient times so as to raise participation (especially that of International students). Additionally, as a member of the Executive Committee, I want to really put a lot of focus on academic support. OHS is an incredibly difficult school with rigorous coursework. However, with AP study prep sessions and class-specific study guides, we can all ace our classes. It is one thing to have diversity, but do we have a community? We need to talk to each other... Discuss our ideas with not only each other, but also our instructors.
How do you plan on maintaining a connection with the students?
Making sure that we're meeting the community's needs is our highest priority. As President and VP, we're going to be taking several steps to make sure we stay connected to the student body. We're going to adjust our plans as needs change and post regular updates on our progress.
We understand that communication is a two-way street, and we'll be listening closely for any changes that need to be made to our plans. Transparency and honest discussions addressing community issues are necessary for leading the school in the right direction. That's why we'll be hosting live forums, where students will be able to directly speak to their leaders to provide feedback and raise new issues. We will also have permanently open anonymous forms as another channel for voicing concerns.
Lastly, why should people vote for you? What sets you two apart?
Alexandria: As Student Body President, I will be committed to making sure you feel heard and welcome. OHS is not just my community, it is yours as well. So, really, all the changes I make will be based on what you as a student want. From in-person events to academic support to fun virtual hangouts, I will make sure that you feel at home at OHS. I know that OHS gave me a place where I feel like I belong. And, I just want to do this for all of you. Given my past leadership experience and my genuine love for this school, you can trust me to put my all into making OHS a better place for EVERY student. No one should feel left out or alone, no matter how far away they live from their nearest peer.
Kirin: I believe that leadership is fundamentally a kind of service. It's an acknowledgement and expression of gratitude that this school, and the experience that you have in it, is only possible because of the people. I want to be Vice President to give back to everyone who has made my life so much more enjoyable, and ensure that everyone else can have the same opportunity to feel that way. I've already started taking steps towards the future. I've spoken to almost every division head to workshop academic events for next year, including AP Review Sessions, English Focus Skill Groups, and School-Wide Write-Ins. If you want leaders who will actually get things done next year, vote Alexandria and Kirin for Student Body President and Vice President!
Further…
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, please leave Alexandria and Kirin a message in their suggestions box or contact them via email: Alexandria (alexa213@ohs.stanford.edu) and Kirin (kirin@ohs.stanford.edu).
To learn more about Alexandria and Kirin’s campaign, you can follow their instagrams (@alexandriathomas13 and @kirink21) where they have their own personal Q&A sessions on their IG story highlights! You can also read about their campaign promises more in depth on the Canvas student community page. Ballots and voting information will be sent out on Friday, May 1st.