After a remarkably long week filled with anticipation, toy giveaways, and self promotions, the United Student Body elections are well underway. The 2024 USB council will compose of juniors Jane Kim as president, Alexandra Chou as vice president, Adeline Chang as secretary, Noah Chan as IOC chairperson, Janice Chu as speaker of the house and sophomore Michelle Park as finance director.
The preparation for getting to that point was both exciting and tedious for the candidates. Many candidates said that taking initiative changed their perspective, growing their confidence and connection with their peers.
“Going to everyone in the school was a very humbling experience where some people would kindly listen to you and vote for you, whereas others wouldn’t even bother to look up while I was speaking,” Chu said.
The process of convincing people to vote was difficult, as many candidates were not used to putting themselves out at center stage. However, they pushed through, using a variety of tactics, including posters, flyers, social media posts and giveaways to initiate conversations with peers.
“I promoted myself by posting on social media and approaching people on campus that I was not previously familiar with,” Chang said. “Approaching new people was the most challenging because I’m not the most extroverted person so it was a good way for me to step outside my comfort zone.”
As the leaders of Diamond Bar High School, USB holds a lot of school events representing the school’s inclusiveness and leadership. Most of this year’s council members say this puts some pressure on them to uphold a good example for their fellow peers.
“I hope to impact the school for the better and help keep clubs or extracurricular organizations easy to create and maintain,” Chan said.
The experience changed some of the members’ perspective, causing them to grow more confident as a person. Majority said that it allowed connection between the USB students and their peers, causing them to take initiative.
“USB means being the leader of the school, now that I am on board, I must lead with my fellow board members,” Chu said.
Getting elected into the 2024 USB council has inspired some to take on a challenge to make big decisions and lead something bigger than themselves.
“Being in USB means so much to me,” Kim said. “USB is not just a group of students that paints posters and does rallies. USB students represent our school and what Diamond Bar stands for. Being in USB since freshman year has been such a privilege for me that I truly call them my second family.”
