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STUCO 2026-27 COUNCIL
INTERVIEW
CO-PRESIDENTS
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Gavin Li
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Tell me a little about yourself, such as your hobbies, extracurriculars, clubs you are in, sports, and etc.. What are some fun facts about yourself?
My name is Gavin Li, and I am the Student Council co-president. I enjoy speedcubing and running in my free time. Besides my hobbies, I have a strong passion for engineering and mathematics. Occasionally, I play basketball or badminton and go on random walks. As always, I’m open to talk to new people.
What motivated you to join the MHSHS Student Council?
Coming from a large middle school, it was difficult to engage directly with the development of events and advocate for any changes. When I entered high school, it clicked to me that I should take an active role in our school and community. I also love to solve problems and come up with solutions so joining council meant that I could exercise my skills in problem-solving.
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What are the goals you hope to accomplish as a member of the Student Council?
My main goal is to voice out concerns or ideas regarding events from peers. By speaking for my peers, I aim to actively engage in the organization of engaging events and provide solutions for any arising concerns.
Nicole Martinez
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What makes a good student leader?
What makes a student a good leader is being selfless, having the ability to put aside their own personal wishes and prioritize not only what people want, but also listen to every voice and not exclude anyone. Leadership requires the courage to step up and guide others, especially when the team feels unsure and confused.
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What are somethings people don’t actually realize about STUCO?
I think a lot of people fail to realize just how limited we actually are. Sometimes ideas don’t happen because they’re denied by administration or we just don’t have the funds. It’s typically hard to plan fun events when we lack the money for it.
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What motivated you to join the MHSHS Student Council?
My middle school was pretty limited and didn’t have much (including a student council) so I remember being curious and excited when the opportunity approached itself. I join out of pure curiosity. Eventually throughout the years student council would become something very important to me.
JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVES
Gianna Rodriguez-Cerda
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Tell me a little about yourself, such as your hobbies, extracurriculars, clubs you are in, sports, and etc.. What are some fun facts about yourself?
For hobbies I enjoy creative writing, drawing, watching tv, baking, practicing the violin, reading [really recommend Cemetery Boys, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, How to Hide An Empire, and Notes of a Native Son], playing video games, and listening to music. For clubs, I’m in the Student Council as a representative, Botany Club as one of the leaders, and Newspaper Club since freshman year (although I haven’t always been very active 😅). I’m also helping out as a host for the Talent Show! Additionally, I help out with Junior Fundraising whenever I have time.
For fun facts:
• I enjoy every book genre except Self-help
• my favorite music genre is folk (folk-pop, folk-punk, folk-rock, regular folk, etc I love it all), and my favorite band is The Crane Wives
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What makes a good student leader?
Firstly, a good student leader is someone who listens to the student body, and speaks up for them when they can’t. Secondly, a good student leader should be willing to hear and consider viewpoints different from their own while being able to hold amicable dialogue with others as to come up with solutions for recent issues.
And lastly, good leader, not just a student leader, needs to be able to accept or realize when they’re wrong and know how to change course.
After all, it shows integrity—-and that’s what makes the core of a good leader!*
*not AI, I just like my em dashes
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What motivated you to join the MHSHS student council?
I joined the MHSHS Student Council because I genuinely like the school, wanted to act as a voice for those who couldn’t speak for themselves, and wanted to be a part of something bigger. Before joining the high school, I was a part of both my elementary and middle school’s student council so it also felt like the natural course for me to take. Since joining the Student Council (all the way back in freshman year), I’ve definitely felt like I have made a difference even if it’s just small changes here and there while planning fun activities for my peers!
Becky You
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What are the goals you hope to accomplish as a member of the Student Council?
The main goals I want to accomplish are fostering a greater sense of school inclusivity and strengthening the communications between students and administration. I would like to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment because life can kind of suck sometimes, and I don’t want MHSHS to be a place that can make one feel worse. The main goal of this school is to leave as better versions of ourselves, and this can be best done by allowing people to be themselves. This is best achieved through the creation of a safe space for every unique individual. Additionally, I want to strengthen the communications between the students and the staff because I feel like students have a hard time expressing how they feel since there isn’t a clear and simple way to go about it. Allowing this greater communication creates a more unified and open environment.
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What makes a good student leader?
A good student leader consists of someone who knows how to both listen to and articulate their peers’ thoughts/ideas/concerns. They also know how to properly communicate to staff, students, parents, and the community in order to build a culture of trust and collaboration crucial for the success of the school. Additionally, they must have the skills to quickly adapt to any curveballs thrown at them at them. A good leader must be flexible when faced with shifting policies, standards, and student demographics.
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What are some things people don’t actually realize about STUCO?
I’d say people generally don’t realize how much is being done behind the scenes and just how far in advanced things are planned. People like to complain about pretty much anything we do, but I don’t think they understand that we do really try to make school/the events as fun as they can. We are pretty limited in what can do, but we definitely try to voice any wants or concerns of the student body. We will always prioritize the needs of the community and make an effort to listen to any criticism on anything we do.
Elene Dvali
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What motivated you to join the MHSHS Student Council?
I've been seeing a lot of people be discontent with things around the school, whether that be events (or the lack thereof), or simply general complaints. I wanted to give them a voice and ensure that the students of hunter are both learning to the best of their abilities and enjoying themselves while doing it
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What are the goals you hope to accomplish as a member of the Student Council?
I hope that I can help facilitate a lot more events and fun activities to help build camaraderie between the grades and to just let people have fun at school.
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What are somethings people don’t actually realize about STUCO?
It takes a lot more time and effort to plan events because we don't get final say and we have to ver everything through numerous sources- so it's not our fault yall!!!
Ellis Teano
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Tell me a little about yourself, such as your hobbies, extracurriculars, clubs you are in, sports, and etc.. What are some fun facts about yourself?
My name is Ellis Teano and I am an eleventh-grade student council representative. I immensely enjoy going out with my girlfriend and friends, playing badminton, trying new food, cooking/baking, indulging myself in nature, and much more!
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What makes a good student leader?
One who can lead and make decisions that benefit the student body as a whole, while also thinking about the future of the school and the effects that their decisions will have. They must be able to listen to their peers and digest the information, then using said information to improve the school with the entire student body in mind.
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What are somethings people don’t actually realize about STUCO?
Student council requires much more of the students than most realize. It is an incredibly demanding responsibility and shouldn't be taken lightly, as its members help run nearly every event, trip, dress down days, etc.
Arlenis Rodrigues
SOPHOMORE REPRESENTATIVES
Keily Boya
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Tell me a little about yourself, such as your hobbies, extracurriculars, clubs you are in, sports, and etc.. What are some fun facts about yourself?
I like to spend time with my family and friends. I’m apart of robotics club and the glamour gals club, and help Ms. Heft as a peer tutor in AGT. I’m also apart of the M.L.K. varsity softball team. Some fun facts about me is that I love cats, my favorite color is pink, and I’m a very hardworking person.
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What motivated you to join the MHSHS student council?
I was motivated to join student council when I noticed how much I like proposing ideas and planning for things to come together smoothly. A lot of my peers around me also convinced me because they said that I was a great fit for student council and that I would make a great leader.
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What are the goals you hope to accomplish as a member of the Student Council?
I hope to make sure that the voices of the student body continue to be heard. I also hope to bring great changes to our school to provide a safe, supportive, and fun environment for everyone.
Shirley Weng
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Tell me a little about yourself, such as your hobbies, extracurriculars, clubs you are in, sports, and etc.. What are some fun facts about yourself?
Hello! My name is Shirley and I’m currently a Sophomore at MHSHS. I play for the school’s badminton team. In my free time, I like to fold origami, try new food places, and hanging out with my friends. I am super fascinated with oncology and physiology, and hope to do something related with the medical field. Some extracurriculars that I do are NYAS, (New York Academy of Sciences), advocate for IHL, and being a volunteer for Origami for Good. I’m in the school’s Origami club, Newspaper club, Asian Affinity Association club, and Culinary club.
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What are somethings people don’t actually realize about STUCO?
I believe that people don’t really realize that we can’t actually control the final outcomes, such as trips, spirit weeks, and even the school wide events. It depends on the administrators, weither they like or dislike the idea. Additionally, during meetings, we bring up student concerns and issues, and try to come up with a solution as a whole group. We always try making more reasonable decisions, rather than just jumping in and making irrational decisions.
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What motivated you to join the MHSHS student council?
I was motivated to join the MHSHS student council due to the fact that my middle school never had one, which led to many complaints, problems, and other issues. When I saw the opportunity, I loved the idea because I was able to help students and make the environment more welcoming and enjoyable. Additionally, I felt like it was a great way to advocate for students who are too afraid to speak up for themselves.
Peijia Fang
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Tell me a little about yourself, such as your hobbies, extracurriculars, clubs you are in, sports, and etc.. What are some fun facts about yourself?
I’m Peijia Fang and I like to watch shows in my free time. I’m apart of a non-profit organization called “future physicians”, where we seek opportunities for students that are having a difficult time finding medical internships or volunteer work. I am apart of the MLK girls badminton team and a fun fact about me is that my love for chocolate is deep to the soul.
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What are the goals you hope to accomplish as a member of the Student Council?
My goal as a member of student council is to bring the concerns and complaints from the students to the upper management team and solve the issues effectively.
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What are somethings people don’t actually realize about STUCO?
Something people don’t actually realize about STUCO is that we aren’t the ones that have final say in events and activities. There are a lot of uncontrollable factors that we have to consider when something is being decided. Us, as student council members, can only advocate for the students, but we can’t actually decide on what’s going to happen.
Roy Yusha
Kimberly Herrera-Castill
FRESHMAN REPRESENTATIVES
Lindsay Laochua
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Tell me a little about yourself, such as your hobbies, extracurriculars, clubs you are in, sports, and etc.. What are some fun facts about yourself?
I'm passionate about journalling and badminton. I aspire to pursue a career within the medical field. And a fan fact is that my favorite color has been blue ever since I was young.
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What are the goals you hope to accomplish as a member of the Student Council?
As a member of STUCO, I hope to help create a more inclusive and engaging school environment where every student feels heard. I want to contribute ideas for fun and create meaningful events, improve communication between students and administration, and make sure student concerns are taken seriously.
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What motivated you to join the MHSHS student council?
I was motivated to join the MHSHS student council because I wanted to have a voice in improving our school and representing my peers. I’ve seen how student council can bring positive changes, such as organizing events and creating a better school environment. I wanted to be apart of that impact. I also enjoy working with others and thought this would be a great way to get more involved in the school community.
Secoiya Blair
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Tell me a little about yourself, such as your hobbies, extracurriculars, clubs you are in, sports, and etc.. What are some fun facts about yourself?
My name is Secoiya Blair and I’m currently a freshman at MHSHS. I am apart of Student Council and my hobbies are cosmetology (doing nails, hair etc ). I currently run track, but I also did cheer. I’m in BSU ( Black Student Union ) and I love horror, like movies & books.
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What motivated you to join the MHSHS Student Council?
What motivated me to join StuCo was the opportunity to represent and advocate for my peers. To be able to be the voice of my grade/school inspires me because not only do I get to make the school more fun, but a better environment overall. I love planning things for the school and being the person that can make the school a better place.
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What makes a good student leader?
A good student leader is someone who isn’t afraid to stand up for what’s right and advocate for the other students. They also listen to the demands of others and tries their best to make it come to life.
Melissa Gabriel
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What makes a good student leader?
In my perspective, important factors that make someone a good leader is being responsible, considerate, well organized, respectful and leads by example. They listen to others with an open-mind and thoroughly communicate concerns with students without shutting down ideas, rather they follow through what they say they will get done.
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What are the goals you hope to accomplish as a member of the Student Council?
As a member of student council, my main goal is to create a friendly environment to ensure all students feel comfortable and heard. Making a safe space allows more students to express their thoughts about certain concerns or feedbacks. This helps develop a comfortable environment.
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What motivated you to join the MHSHS student council?
The reason that motivated me to become apart of student council was knowing the impact that can be made with the support of students voices. I believe it’s important to have someone that creates a welcoming environment that allows others to share their opinions comfortability. Additionally, I see this as an opportunity to improve important skills such as leadership, communication, and organization.