It was early September in 2017 when I received an email from Mr. Stearns announcing Freshmen ASB elections and that a speech would be due on Monday, should I choose to run. I discarded it. It wasn’t until 11:00pm on Sunday night that my mom suggested I give it a shot and run. So, I quickly drafted up a speech about building community and naturally added a little spice by making it revolve around Flo Rida’s song, My House.

Many of you know all that. However, I am about to reveal a secret that almost no one knows about me and my ASB career. Later that night, when I found out I was elected, my initial response was shock and joy. I mean, I barely knew anyone, yet somehow, I was elected. When I got home and told the surprising news to my parents, my dad so eagerly said- “Are you ready to stay late and clean up all the dances?” It was then that I burst into tears, horrified about what I had just gotten myself into, and begged to quit.

Obviously, I didn’t quit, as I am sitting here today wrapping up my final few weeks as ASB President. After 11 dances, 4 Olympic Weeks, 4 spirit weeks, and countless assemblies, I can say with 100% certainty that choosing to continue with ASB was the best decision I made at Seattle Prep.

ASB was the one thing in my four years at Prep that stayed constant. Sports seasons came and went, classes constantly shifted and got harder, and even friends weren’t always predictable, but through it all, I had ASB. Whether it was productive Wednesday meetings full of jokes and planning, our annual retreat with three other Jesuit schools, or waking up early to set up for dances; we were always finding new ways to increase spirit and make things exciting for the rest of the Prep community. As an added bonus, it turns out cleaning up for the dances was never that bad, especially when we made the switch to vinyl flooring instead of the tedious carpet squares.

Above all, ASB is what kept me tethered to Seattle Prep. When COVID-19 hit, especially in Senior year, it was hard to feel like academics weren’t the only thing making it feel like I was still in high school as I sat alone at my desk in my room. But then, a meeting notification from Mr. Stearns would appear on my desktop and I would immediately begin planning for the next meeting and event. ASB gave me a reason to not check out and became my constant connection to the Prep community.

My four years at Prep have been everything I could have asked for and more. While ASB was certainly not something I expected to get involved in, it is a prime example of the saying that “everything happens for a reason.” The people I’ve met, memories I’ve made, and skills I’ve learned in ASB have shaped me into the woman I’ve become and will forever remain a core part of my time at Seattle Prep.