Sarah Rojas ‘21 impressed many with her effective, friendly, and passionate leadership as the Student Government Association (SGA) president for the 2020-21 school year. Despite facing many obstacles, such as schedule changes and COVID-19 safety precautions, Sarah managed to keep SGA functioning normally and accomplished an impressive number of achievements and changes. Going into the year, Sarah states that her goal was for SGA to be “a source of positivity and normalcy” by “[keeping] GA’s favorite traditions alive.” Casey Traina ‘22, SGA’s incoming president, comments that “her greatest achievement from this year was simply running SGA in a virtual world,” especially with “so much work behind the scenes that nobody sees.” Current SGA Form Reps and Senators agree that she has helped GA’s student government to work much more efficiently, smoothly, and cohesively as a team.
One of the most notable changes she enacted was completely reorganizing the structure of the student government. At the beginning of her tenure, Sarah vowed to make SGA more efficient in order to get the most done during her time as president. Staying true to her promise, she divided all senators and form reps into one of three committees: Equity and Inclusion, Communication, and Mental Health. Senators alternated between meeting in individual committees and as a whole each Flex shift so that committees would have sufficient time to propose and plan their ideas.
One of the most successful accomplishments was the Mental Health Committee’s implementation of Wellness Week during the last week of April. Sarah and the committee dedicated a week to raising awareness about the importance of mental health and improving student morale during an especially tough year. The week began with a Flex period dedicated to advisory discussions on stress management, and snacks, pencils, and stickers were handed out to students in front of the Upper School office. Sarah and the committee concluded the week with spike-ball, cornhole, popsicles, music during lunch, and a pajama-themed Dress Down Day.
Other impressive achievements of hers included coordinating a diversity conference between the student leaders of affinity groups and faculty leaders of the Upper School, planning the Day of Kindness (with snacks, posters, etc.), gracefully compiling weekly morning announcement videos (and creating a committee to announce birthdays), and assisting with the interview process of the Assistant Head of School. When asked about what she wants her legacy to be, Sarah responded, “I hope that I was able to create a sense of normalcy even in a virtual environment. So, in the future, if we ever have a snow day or aren’t able to come into school, I hope that GA can still host virtual club events and virtual morning meetings to stay true to our best traditions even when a challenge presents itself.”
She has certainly left her mark on SGA with her positive, forward-thinking mentality. For future SGA presidents, Sarah advises, “use creativity to lead every meeting, overcome any challenge, and dream up any new events for the school. If you ever feel stuck, there is always, always a way to overcome that challenge — just rely on the right brains and limitless imaginations.” As Casey Traina states, one of her most notable contributions was her humility because “she has never boasted her success and is always eager to give someone else credit for something she could easily take credit for.” Sarah, congratulations on all of your achievements and good luck in college!