SBP Candidate Personal Statement: Joey Kim

The Student Body President is the position that sums up Westtown: it takes aspects from each student leadership position, linking them together and creating a leadership opportunity that benefits the students. The SBPs represent the student body, not only in name but also in practice: SBPs gather and lead students’ ideas to further the transformation of this school from a place of learning to a place of living.

I want to push Westtown in a direction where future students will feel safe living here and proud of attending this school, and being SBP would allow me to do just that. My plan as SBP is not to make immediate and large changes to the school but to build a stable foundation for future SBPs and to make some smaller steps that will truly further the development of our community. I would like to start by adding more activities to Westtown to bridge the gap between students of living status, grade, and gender, and to build a more accommodating environment where students can feel comfortable regardless of being domestic or international. Although I plan to board next year, I have been a day student for three years of my upper school career, which has been a major part of my Westtown identity that has shaped my experience and the way I interact with the school. It’s with this experience that I can make changes that will accommodate boarding and day students equally, and bring more attention to the day student perspective in general.

Not only do I have strengths that make me qualified for SBP, but I am also able to identify my own weaknesses and I am always actively trying to build them up. Since August, I’ve had the opportunity to serve as a Work Program Head, managing meals and students throughout the entire year, allowing me to gain experience with organizing large projects and groups of people, as well as adding to my knowledge as a Westonian. I also took on the responsibility of managing the lists of students that would serve every round, writing and announcing information crucial to students’ knowledge for the year to come, and sending updates to the student body through emails. This role has taught me important skills in organization, planning, and communicating, which I believe are all crucial for an effective SBP. I am confident that as SBP, I will be able to use my experiences as a WPH and a student at Westtown, as well as the work of previous SBPs, to make meaningful contributions toward building a better future for our school.