Q & A with St. Agnes' Student Council President and Vice President

Lunch time is always busy. Luckily, I am able to grab some lunch with Lexi Blakes and Devon Montecillo, the class of 2020’s president and vice president. As we stroll to the library, we discuss how our days have been going. Lexi gestures to her stained uniform shirt and groans, while Devon jokingly describes the fateful end of Lexi’s pasta salad. But, despite their pasta problems, the two keep a smile on their face and did not let it get them down.

I smiled as I listen, thinking how perfect these two are for our sophomore class. Positive, uplifting and strong are just a few words to describe the duo. Lexi and I are both in choir, and Devon and I were in speech club last year; the three of us are not strangers. However, I know that even if I did not know them, they would make me feel as if we were old friends. Sophomore year is one of the most challenging years of high school, so I decided to get Lexi and Devon’s input on their plans.  

CK: Hi guys! Thank you for agreeing to meet me! So, first question. Have either of you guys been involved with student council before?

LB: No this is my first year, but I’m already having fun!

DM: I did student council all throughout middle school. Seventh grade I was vice president, eighth grade I was president, and last year I was a homeroom rep. This year I am the 10th grade vice president. My favorite thing about doing student council in middle school was the different leadership activities. One year we went to Austin to study leadership and I had so much fun!

CK: Awesome! Now, as president and vice president, what are some things that you oversee?

LB: We are in charge of the sophomore portion of the orientation assembly and Sophomore Stand-Off.

DV: Sophomores don’t really have that many activities planned during the year, but we are working with our class sponsors to create fun events for future (and maybe current!) sophomores.

CK: Well, I’m excited to see what you guys come up with. Aside from new activities, what other things do you guys want to achieve before the end of the year?

LB: Our main goal is just to make sure everyone in our class feels supported and comfortable. Sophomore year can get really challenging and we want to be there for anyone who needs us.

DM: And because St. Agnes is a big community, we want to make sure everyone has a friend. We want everyone to build a closer bond and become more united as a class.

CK: It’s awesome that you guys are so welcoming! People are really looking forward to this year with you two in office. Speaking of the people, have any students requested changes of any kind?

DV: The only thing I’ve gotten is to allow pajama pants on free dress days. I don’t really have that kind of power though. *laughs*

LB: That’s about the only thing I’ve gotten too.

CK: In that case, are there any changes that the two of you want to make?

DV: My goal is to stamp out any negative rumors about St. Agnes. Sometimes people get the wrong impression about who we are as a school and I want to show that this school is such a welcoming environment.

LB: I want to get more people excited about student council! It’s been so fun and I love it.

CK: That sounds great! What’s your favorite part about being in student council?

LB: I absolutely love meeting new people and learning about St. Agnes. We have such an impact on not only our school, but our city. I have grown so much as a person here.

DM: Oh, I love everything about student council, but my favorite thing would be the opportunities to serve the Houston community. I also love the retreats, trips and just being able to connect with the other girls involved.

CK: Wow, that sounds so fun. Do you guys plan on running next year?

DM: Oh, definitely! I was actually going to run for president!

LB: For next year, I was thinking about exploring new things. We have so many amazing clubs here at St. Agnes so I was thinking of either working more with VOBY [Voices of Black Youth] or even starting my own club.

DM: No way! That’s so cool! We should start a new club together, like the Woke Club or something.

LB: *laughs* We totally should!

CK: Finally, what advice do you have for anyone who wants to run for a position in Student Council?

DM: Run for something, even if you think you have no chance. It’s better to have a tiny possibility when running than the guarantee of not getting anything when you don’t run. Always be true to yourself. Don’t advocate for values you don’t agree with, and make sure you are always putting your best self out there. Add humor to your speech! I made a few people giggle during my speech and it ended up helping me a lot.

LB: Just go for it! Freshman year, I ran and I actually lost. But that didn’t stop me from running again. In the moment, it is super scary. But your peers aren’t super concerned with how long you’ve been doing student council when they are voting, they want to vote for someone who is themselves and who they can envision as president.

As the bell rang and we went to class, I could not keep from being happy the rest of the day. Lexi and Devon had such refreshing answers for me and even made me laugh in the process. The positivity they radiate will definitely make an impact on not just the class of 2020, but the whole St. Agnes community.