When was the last time a student truly surprised you? Not with a mistake. Not with a discipline issue. But with leadership.
I think sometimes we don’t fully see what students are capable of. Not because the potential isn’t there, but because they haven’t been given a chance to rise to the occasion. An occasion with relevance and gravity—the chance to take on some of the responsibility of helping you elevate your students’ self-belief.
At Burges High School in El Paso, TX, my student council and I made school history by being the first ever to hold this role of president on our state board, the Texas Association of Student Councils (TASC). (Burges is the president school this school year, and I’m the student representative.) In Texas, I’m excited we get this chance to shine brightly, but moments like that don’t just happen because a student like me thought it would be a cool idea. They happen because someone chose to believe in that student, to guide them, to listen to them, and decided to shine a light on them.
My first student council meeting wasn’t anything dramatic. No big moment. No unforgettable speech. I walked in. I sat down. And I didn’t say a word.
I wasn’t ready for any kind of spotlight or attention. But what kept me coming back wasn’t just the meetings, it was a feeling. The feeling that maybe, one day, my voice would matte, that I could and should start to speak up.
That’s what your active student councils and leadership organizations create.
Your student council creates a space where students can belong, where they can be seen, where they can contribute, and grow into individuals that they didn’t even know they could become.
But the truth is students don’t find that spotlight on their own. You place it.
As principals and school leaders, you decide where that light shines on your campus. You decide whether your student council stays behind the scenes or whether it can link arms with you, in partnership, to lead your school and communities.
At my school, our student council isn’t sitting in the audience. We’re working alongside administration. When we plan events, we’re not just thinking about school spirit. We’re thinking about impact.
Who are we reaching? Who are we missing? What does our campus actually need?
And when students are given that opportunity, something changes. They step up. They take ownership. They rise to the expectations placed before them. Student council can be one of your strongest partners on your campus, not just for planning events, but for strengthening culture and creating a school environment where students feel genuinely valued.
That’s where TASC comes in. Thanks to this association, student leaders don’t just learn what to do, we learn why it matters. Engagement with TASC will result in students developing leadership skills by generating ideas, finding their voice to articulate those ideas, and returning to your campuses ready to lead alongside you.
So, here’s my challenge. Shine the light on your student council, bring them into your conference rooms, ask a few questions. Then listen. You will likely see students struggle at first, not quite trusting that they will be trusted. But then they will start to take ownership and become a bit braver. And I promise you, your students will welcome the chance to make a legitimate impact in your school.
As educator Dr. James Comer said, “No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.”
When students are trusted as leaders, relationships deepen. And when those relationships are strong, schools become stronger places to learn, lead, and belong.
