Dear Strath Haven,

The end of the year is finally here, and I’m so proud of you for finishing it off strong! From conquering your AP Exams and Keystones to submitting the last essay of the year, you’ve done it. Now, all that’s left to do is give one final push for your final exams– and just like that, you’ll be out the door!

This letter is my final address to you as the 2022-2023 Student Council President, as well as a student at Haven. I want to begin by giving a recap of all the things that Student Council accomplished during my time as President!

This year, Student Council organized a total of 18 spirit days, including 2 spirit weeks! 2022 was also the first year that you were given the opportunity to vote for the Homecoming theme: Great Gatsby! Thanks to you, we had a record number of homecoming tickets sold, and Student Council donated around $10,000 from our sales towards the Nationalities Service Center in Philly. Not only that, our first full Homecoming Pep Rally since 2019 was a huge success, filled with amazing dances, inflatable dinosaurs, and silly spray!

In March, we brought back the Blood Drive after 3 years and had more than 170 students sign up to donate– even the Red Cross volunteers were impressed by your overwhelming support for the cause! Finally, we ended the year with Spring Fling, whose ambience was heightened by our amazing student Coffeehouse performers as well as our advisors getting pie-faced! Our team had so much fun organizing these events for you all, and I hope that you all enjoyed them too!

In addition to planning events, Student Council also had conversations with administration about school WiFi, mental health excused absences, school cleanliness, and transparency. Although these policies are still in the early stages of implementation, I’m confident that you will see positive changes within your time at Strath Haven!

Before I say goodbye, I want to offer each of you some advice that I’ve learned as President (and a graduating senior). No matter what grade you’re in, I hope it’s something that you can apply to your high school career and beyond.

Success is not about having the best grades or the most activities on your resume. It has nothing to do with the college you will go to, and it’s certainly not about having the most power in a room, either.

To me, true success is knowing that your efforts brought a smile to someone’s face. It’s understanding that your actions contribute to the greater good of something so much bigger than yourself. It’s realizing that your voice holds weight when you speak up for something you believe in.

True success lies in kindness, compassion, and empathy.

It has been my honor and privilege to serve as your 2022-2023 Student Council President. Thank you for allowing me to represent you, and thank you for putting your faith in me. I will forever be grateful for your support, and I hope I’ve made you proud.

I wish you all immense success and best wishes for the future.

That’s all I have for today– Have a great day, Haven!

Sincerely,

Aashna Pandey

Student Council President, 2022-2023