SBP Candidate Personal Statement: Zaria Johnson

Hey, y’all! For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Zaria Johnson and I want to be one of your 2023-2024 Student Body Presidents. I have had the privilege and opportunity to work with current and past SBPs for the past 2 years, throughout various positions. From my engagements with different SBPs like Emily, Mo, Ali, Alexis, and Kavi, I have learned just what the job entails. An SBP is someone who is passionate about their role in helping to better the Westtown community, and are the bridge between teachers and students to share concerns and create change. SBPs must be able to communicate, be dedicated, and make being an SBP their top priority. SBPs need to be strong, diligent, organized, and professional – I believe I have all of those qualities.

Throughout my life, I have held multiple leadership positions both inside and outside of Westtown including, Sophomore Class Officer, Ambassador, Balderston Proctor, BIPOC Mentor, BWAG Head, Varsity Wrestling Manager, Beta Club President, Student Government President, Student Government Vice President, Technical Director, and I am currently the Assistant Director of a production company. In every position that I’ve held, I have continued to be dedicated to one goal; creating space for change, and I would continue to strive for that goal if elected as SBP.

Over my years at Westtown, I have learned that there is a serious lack of communication between the students and faculty. I’ve been able to discuss this issue with many different teachers in different spaces, and we all agree that this is a prominent issue that needs to be addressed. If elected as SBP, this would be one of the key issues I would strive to improve. I’ve also noticed that issues usually brought up by the students that are presented to the administration are usually disregarded or passed over, causing discord between the students and faculty. As an SBP, I’d want to advocate for those whose voices are often ignored or pushed to the side, especially surrounding issues pertinent to our Westtown community like mental health, inadequate communication, policy changes, and the most recent schedule changes.My main goal as SBP would be to represent the student body well and to highlight the concerns of many different demographics that are a part of our student body. If elected, I would use all of my expertise to fulfill the duties addressed to this position and represent the community well. Thank you!