Matisse: Good morning. Let us start with the basics. What is your block called and what is the meaning of your blocks name? What is your slogan?
Ga Yuel: Our block is called aspire. The literal word aspire means to reach higher. We have put meaning to each letter: A stands for appreciation, S stands for spirit, P stands for providing, I stands for inspire, R stands for respect and E stands for enthusiasm. Our slogan is “Aspire to reach higher.”
Fernanda: My block’s name is Quintesent. It is actually a mixture of words (quintessential, different and selcouth.) Quintessential means perfect, because we believe that as a block we are perfect for you and the school. Different because we are original, we are different from other people who have run before, we have different personalities, objectives and perspectives, and we are also rare and wondrous. The slogan of our block is “The change we need, the voice you deserve.”
Matisse: Who are the members of your block? Please state their positions as well.
Ga Yuel: I am running for President, Amy Smith is running for Vice President, Libertad Rojas is running for Secretary Treasurer, Joaquín Alcoreza is running for Supervisor and Catalina Portocarrero is running for Secretary Vocal.
Fernanda: I am running for President, Nicolas Ortuño is running for Vice President, Daniela Pedroza is running for Secretary Treasurer, Adrian Luzio is running for Supervisor and Vanina Quiroga is Secretary Vocal.
Matisse: Tell me about the positive characteristics of each member of your block.
Ga Yuel: Our block is made up of students who are academically as well as athletically talented, that want to improve our school and increase spirit.
Fernanda: As I mentioned before, we are really different from one another.
I will start with myself, I believe am good at playing music as well as drawing (I represent the artistic as well as creative side of the block.)
Nicolas Ortuño on the other hand represents the analytical part of the block, he thinks about problems over and over again until we get a solution. Nicolas is also an excellent swimmer and good at sports in general.
Daniela is also really artistic and is good at elaborating and creating. For example, the video you will be seeing on Wednesday is mostly done by her; you will see her creativity.
Adrian Luzio is good at doing stuff in the moment, he has really amazing ideas. Adri is also a great soccer player and is good at sports; he is also quite artistic as well.
Vanina is good at a little bit of everything (sports, art, creativity), but she is also great at public speaking and relating to people which is why we chose her as Secretary/Vocal.
Matisse: Tell me about the negative qualities your block has. (We are all human, we are not perfect and a good leader acknowledges his and his teammates’ negative qualities.)
Ga Yuel: We do not have a representative from 9th grade, however we have friends from those grade levels so we will include 9th grades voice in our block of course.
Fernanda: Our weakest strength is that we do not really know each other that well. Before forming a block, we were not really close. We are getting to know each other and I think that is a good thing since we are starting to get along pretty well.
Matisse: What is your block’s objective or mission?
Ga Yuel: Our most important objective is to improve school spirit and communication.
Fernanda: Our most important objective is increasing school spirit and unity. Not only amongst classes and grade levels, but also between high school and middle school.
Matisse: Tell me about your positive qualities as a leader. Why would people want to chose you as their Stuco block president?
Ga Yuel: I have previous experience working in Stuco, and I believe I am eligible for this position because I have been Stuco officer in all three positions and I understand the hardships of each position so I can come up with better solutions for each position.
Fernanda: I feel that I am responsible enough to take a role as Stuco block President, and I believe that I have the experience that’s necessary. I also have the determination and I know what is required from me to be the President of the school.
Matisse: Tell me about your weakest strength as a person. What are some things you struggle with?
Ga Yuel: Some things I struggle with is stressing out too much, many times I can overwhelm myself and people around me.
Fernanda: Sometimes I get too overwhelmed with stuff (too many things happen in my head and sometimes it is hard to prioritize.)
Matisse: What leadership activities have you been previously part of?
Ga Yuel: I have been Stuco officer in all three positions, I have worked in HOPE as a volunteer helping organize events, I have been involved in soccer and being the next senior soccer captain.
Fernanda: Right now I am creating a club with Adriana Bendix and my sister Camila Pedroza known as Women Empowerment. I am also a Peer Counselor in the school. I have been 9th grade class representative and 10th grade class president in my previous school.
Matisse: How do you get others to accept your ideas?
Ga Yuel: To make people accept my ideas, I really try to include all the opinions of people and try to make decisions based off these opinions. I do not make it “my” decision, but I make it “our” decision.
Fernanda: The best way to get my ideas across people is through a direct approach. I prefer to communicate with people personally rather than writing them things such as surveys. I prefer to talk to people face-to-face so they can actually process and think about the information or guidance they are receiving or providing.
Matisse: If you could describe yourself in three words, how would you describe yourself?
Ga Yuel: Bright, Loud and hard working.
Fernanda: Determined, Organized and Eager.
Matisse: What is your spirit animal and why?
Ga Yuel: My spirit animal is the Cougar, because it is what I am representing next year.
Fernanda: A lion, because felines like to sleep a lot and I like to sleep. They are fierce and I believe I can be fierce when I want to.
Matisse: If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be and why?
Ga Yuel: People’s mentality on stereotypes.
Fernanda: I know this is a little bit cliché, but I would say poverty because poverty is one of the main causes of every single world problem today.
Matisse: How do you think your classmates would describe you?
Ga Yuel: Loud, fun and loyal.
Fernanda: Organized, quiet and friendly.
Matisse: If you could change only one specific detailed thing about the school, what would it be and why?
Ga Yuel: Communication between the student body and student representatives. I believe that there should always be a notice to each class member on the events that will be coming up in order to be well prepared and organized.
Fernanda: More organization, such as not putting too many tests the same day and enforcing the test schedule.
Matisse: What is the most difficult situation you have encountered throughout your life, and how have you reacted to it or solved it?
Ga Yuel: It was a small moment, but realizing that my best friend was leaving. I was very worried at the time, but right now I know that even though I know she is going, she will do best there.
Fernanda: If I am being honest with you, the most difficult situation I have encountered was moving to Haiti, it was a whole different country, language, school, culture, new everything, which really helped me grow as a person.
Matisse: As a Stuco block leader, you will be taking care of loads of work, which equals to loads of stress. How will you handle the stress?
Ga Yuel: My team always balances me out when I get overwhelmed. I believe that I have a powerful team that will divide the work, so it will not be only me handling piles of work.
Fernanda: I feel that I am pretty good at handling stress. Since I am going to become a senior the following year, I will have more time to work in the Stuco block (especially in the second semester where I can literally dedicate myself to it and create a lot of changes.)
Matisse: If you could give a message to all secondary this very second…what message would you give?
Ga Yuel: That they should always try to be involved in events around school and always show their Cougar pride.
Fernanda: Never give up: you are capable of doing everything that you propose yourself. I know it sounds cheesy, but I believe that people should hear it more often.
Matisse: Last but not least, why do you want to be next year’s Stuco block president?
Ga Yuel: I have been a student of ACS for 10 and a half years, and I believe I have know the ACS community deeply. I believe I can bring new changes to ACS and leave an impact.
Fernanda: This is something that I’ve wanted ever since I started participating in Stuco activities (since 9th grade). I have always wanted to be part of something big, and this is changing the school with my group’s innovative ideas.
Matisse: Thank you!
