Three students hope to be your Student Council Vice President next school year, 2026-27. Voting will be conducted IN PERSON during history classes on Thursday, June 25. Winners will be announced during Morning Announcements and on The Boulevard Online on Friday, June 26. Only high school students, including seniors, are eligible to vote.  Send questions or comments to Mr. Figueroa at [email protected] or Mr. Weaver at [email protected].

All three candidates made a short video and were asked three questions by the Journalism Club. Below are their videos and answers to the questions, unedited:

SAMUEL MEDINA-LIBRADO

• What makes you the best candidate for Student Council Vice President?

I am the best candidate for the role of vice president because I prioritize communication and students’ opinions. I am not afraid to speak up when students’ opinions are negative nor give up easily. Additionally, I can communicate my ideas and take criticism to make an occasion more enjoyable, such as dances, field days, or spirit weeks. My ambition, flexibility in schedule, and communication can help our students achieve a better environment. 

• What will you do to make things better at Prep?

I will attempt to make our school more active and fun by having students highlight their opinions. Additionally, I will focus on trying to decrease the amount of detentions while improving our Passaic community through different service projects. Therefore, students in or out of the student council can have equal opportunities to help our community.

• What makes you a good leader?

I believe what makes me a good leader is my determination and communication. I think that these qualities can refine our community because it offers a chance for students to boost participation and enjoyment in events and school spirit. Additionally, students should have a leader that is flexible in communicating ideas outside of the student council. For example, I am determined to talk to the majority of students that are not in the student council to make changes.

AMY MARTINEZ

• What makes you the best candidate for Student Council Vice President?

I am the best candidate for Vice President because I bring a perfect mix of real leadership experience, strong organization skills, and a true dedication to our school community. Serving as the president of the Gardening Club has taught me how to take charge, stay responsible, and solve unexpected problems under pressure. On top of that, my role as a co-chair for Student Activities on the Student Council has given me direct experience in planning major events and working closely with other student leaders. I already know how our school systems work and how to get things done, meaning I won’t need time to figure out the job when the year starts. I am not running just for a titleI am running because I have a proven track record of bringing people together, like when I organized our successful flower sale fundraiser. My background makes me ready to step into this role on day one, handle the responsibilities easily, and make sure that the ideas and concerns of our student body are actually heard and acted upon by the school administration.

• What will you do to make things better at Prep?

To make things better at Prep, I am going to focus heavily on bringing back excitement and a strong sense of community to our campus. I want to directly fix the recent drop in participation for our spirit weeks and school dances by making sure the themes, music, and activities are things that the students actually care about and want to see. By listening to your ideas and working closely with the student activities committees, we can turn boring events into fun, unforgettable high school memories that everyone wants to be a part of. Additionally, I want to address the massive spike we have seen in school detentions this year. I believe that when students feel disconnected from the fun parts of high school, it creates negative energy that carries over into the classrooms. By creating a more positive, safe, and inclusive environment.I want to make Prep a place where people genuinely look forward to coming every day because they feel supported, connected, and excited about school life.

• What makes you a good leader?

What makes me a good leader is my strong belief that true leadership is never about being self-centered or making things all about me. Through my time running clubs and helping lead student council activities, I have learned that being a leader means practicing accountability, managing time properly, and focusing on what needs to be done to achieve a group goal. Most importantly, a good leader has to be an excellent listener. I believe my biggest strength is my ability to listen to what the student body wants, consider everyone’s perspective without any judgment, and find realistic, organized ways to make those wants happen. Working alongside so many smart students and our committee leaders has shown me that leadership is a team effort. I don’t look at this position as a way to stand above anyone else, I view it as a responsibility to stand right next to you, support your goals, and make sure every single student has a voice in shaping our school year.

LENORA JOHNSON

• What makes you the best candidate for Student Council Vice President?

What makes me the best candidate for the vice president position is that I have drive. I am an overachiever as well. Like, if I think it needs to be done, no matter how early or late, it will get done with my highest effort and attention. Vice President is a great position for me because I haven’t reached the top of the top level when it comes to leadership or volunteering and things like that, yet I do think I have enough to lead a group of people, while also learning from others who may see things in a different light or from a different perspective. Another reason why I think I’m the greatest for this position is because I like to make things as enjoyable as possible for anyone and everyone involved with what I do, while also maintaining a sense of professionalism and seriousness when needed. 

• What will you do to make things better at Prep?

To make things better at Prep, one thing I can assure for the student council and also the student body as an entirety is establish a bigger voice for those who are too shy to speak up or aren’t being heard. This is one of my main purposes when it comes to running for  Student Council Vice President because I have a lot of friends who are very shy and often have heavy opinions on topics about the school, however, nobody to voice their concerns to. That is also why if you have seen my posters, when I say “Vote for Voice” it is because I know I can be that voice for those too scared to speak to teachers or admin about very serious topics that may make them shy. 

• What makes you a good leader?

What makes me a good leader isn’t just in all of the clubs I am in or all of the volunteering that I do regularly, but it’s in the fact that I know what it means to be a leader. Many may just think that being a leader is just being a face, knowing time management skills, organization skills, etc. And yes, I agree, but, there is just so much more than that. In my opinion, I believe that being a leader means that everybody is equal, even including the leader to the people you’re leading, despite it not seeming that way. To be a leader means that communication and updates are key because you want the people you are leading to know what is going on. Being a leader is about the group as a whole, not just the leader, because the leader’s job is to assist the group to achieve whatever their goal is.