On May 17, three students ran for the most prestigious position in Germantown Academy’s Student Government Association: president. They gave compelling speeches about their ideas for change to get the votes of Upper School students. Larry Zhan ‘25 got the most votes, becoming the SGA president.
The SGA President is responsible for being an ambassador of GA, working closely with teachers and administrators, setting agendas for and running SGA meetings, and overseeing the entire SGA organization to ensure members are on task.
“I voted for Larry because I know him as a person, and I know his character and values.” Aidan Gor ‘25 said. “Also, I thought that his speech and some of the things he talked about made him a very enticing candidate to pick.”
Zhan has been involved in SGA for a very long time, ever since 4th grade, when he was at his Stonycreek Elementary School. Since then, Larry has put a lot of work into SGA, both at his old school and at GA, making very impactful changes.
“My favorite thing about SGA is that I can create impact,” Zhan said. “It gives me an opportunity to make a change and make things work. Every year I have accomplished some goal I have had.”
For example, when he was a sophomore he created a sports equipment drive. Starting in SGA and eventually moving to CSO, Larry was able to help collect over $11,000 worth of equipment.
“I saw his true dedication to what he was working on.” Andreas Szautner, the new vice president and previous secretary for SGA, said. “I really was inspired by that and that is the reason I wanted to work with him and run for secretary in the first place.”
More recently, Larry took on another initiative. With the help of other SGA members like Szautner, he brought back the sandwich bar, a student favorite, that closed after COVID-19.
“He always has a new perspective. Larry came up with new ideas like making [the sandwich bar] self-serve and making it once a week.” Szautner said. ”His quick thinking and his ability to take a new perspective is why I like working with him.”
Looking ahead, Larry wants to implement three changes. Firstly, he wants to create more available parking spots. This will allow more students to park closer to the Upper School building instead of at the stadium.
Secondly, he wants to allow students to open more doors with their keycards to make traversing the campus more convenient. This includes a door in the back of the arts center or the double black doors near the pool.
Thirdly, Larry aims to create a more lively environment during morning meetings to engage students more. He has already started working on that task by implementing “Guess the Teacher” based on various fun facts about teachers across the Upper School.
Larry has a long path ahead of him to turn his ideas into reality. Hopefully, in the next year, Larry will be able to make these ideas happen and create a lasting impact on our community.
“I think Larry will be a great president. He definitely has some shoes to fill. Sam Wang and Luke Phillip left a big impact.” Szauter said. ”He definitely has to step up, but I think he definitely has the leadership and communication qualities and with his previous experience, I think he will perform strongly.”