Freshman Elections

The new school year welcomes many new students to Pioneer High, and many of these students form the Class of 2026. This new graduating class is ready for the high school experience, and to do that effectively, they are going to need a Student Council with capable elected officers. For this reason, candidates interested in being in the Class of 2026 Student Council were able to campaign from September 12th through September 16th.

To become known, gain popularity, and disseminate their key messages, the nominees were encouraged to campaign and promote themselves as candidates for their chosen positions. Unsurprisingly, the candidates developed and used many creative strategies to win student votes. Some, like Julieta Rocha and Ricardo Jaime Hernandez, the candidates for treasurer, decided on handing out candy to earn votes; Jasmine García, a candidate for the president position, also decided on giving out treats, offering candy and chips to anyone who voted for her. Other campaigners chose to distribute different giveaways to secure votes. For example, Lucy Figueroa, candidate for the president’s office, gave out sunglasses with “Vote Lucy” written on the lenses. Another notable campaign strategy was presidential candidate Josselyn Bibriesca’s distribution of tiaras which were worn by many students regardless of gender. And who could forget Yoshi Lim’s lanyard idea? “Vote Yoshi Lim” lanyards could be found all over campus.

After a full week of campaigning, the Class of 2026 was finally able to vote on Friday, September 16th. The elections closed at around 1 pm, and after the ballots were reviewed and the votes were counted, the nervous candidates found out who won the battle for the different positions. Jasmine García won the presidential election, and Emma Scolari became the Vice President. The position of secretary went to Neusma Bidari. Ricardo Jaime Hernandez won the race for the treasurer office, and Chistopher Giroux was elected historian.

It has now been a few weeks since the freshman student council election took place and the Class of 2026 Student Council officers have already met a couple of times. In between home, school, and student council responsibilities, some of the officers have agreed to give us a little insight on what being an officer means to them. “I’m willing to put in lots of work and I know other people who can help me with that,” said historian Christopher Giroux. When asked how he was planning on serving the freshman class, his response was: “I plan on… giving my ideas and… [doing] all the other stuff we do as officers the best I can.” Ricardo Jaime Hernandez, treasurer of the Class of 2026, was also happy to share his view on his role in student government. “I can probably make the events really cool,” he said when asked how he can be an officer who benefits his class. Hernandez also mentioned wanting to work toward helping the freshman class “have a fun time.” Vice President Emma Scolari also took a moment to share that she “[plans] on serving the Freshman class by being very involved in everything and being helpful.”

Clearly, the Class of 2026 Student Council has creative, determined, and committed newly elected officers. It will be exciting to see what they bring to the table over the next few months as they settle into their roles. In the words of Christopher Giroux, “Go Patriots!”