Students at Woodland Joint Unified School District have many opportunities to grow and develop leadership skills, including serving as an officer for their school’s Associated Student Body organization, or ASB.

The ASB is a group of students elected by their peers to represent the interests and goals of the entire student body, including organizing events and setting a positive example for others.

“The whole purpose of ASB is to represent the student body, plan events, and do anything in our power to benefit the student body,” said ASB Treasurer Carter Imbach. “Our event planning is one of the biggest parts of ASB. As a class, we plan things like homecoming, rallies, and lunch events. We also do other small things like sell items for holidays and run student sections.”

“Many believe that ASB is just in charge of student events on campus,” said ASB President Jace Williams. “While that is true, I see the responsibility of ASB as much more in addition to that. ASB leaders go out of their way to help others on campus and engage with students. We are in charge of the spirit on the Woodland High School campus.”

“Not only is ASB in charge of events on campus, but we also try to reach out to the community and take part in events outside of school,” said ASB Secretary Mackenzie Barrios. “ASB strives to set a good example on and off campus as well as make school a positive, productive, and professional place for all.”

“Some different things ASB does is run social media platforms,” added ASB Vice President Isabella Fernandez. “We have an ASB Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Youtube.”

All students at Woodland High School can run for an ASB officer position.

Being an ASB officer offers many benefits, such as leadership and planning experience, teamwork, and camaraderie.

“I enjoy being a positive role model and leader on this campus,” said Williams. “Being an ASB Officer has allowed me to break out of my comfort zone and encourage others to do the same. I have grown as an individual because of this opportunity to serve, and I couldn’t be more grateful. The discussions with students, community members, and the superintendent have also allowed me to discover new possibilities while serving the student body. I enjoy the community aspect of my duties as well.”

“What I like best about being an officer is having a relationship with the vice principals and having a voice louder than our typical student body,” said Fernandez.

“What I like most about being an ASB officer is having the ability to support the student body and attend to their needs and wishes for Woodland High School,” Barrios said. “I enjoy organizing events for students and staff to enjoy and have loved the opportunity to work with my fellow ASB officers whom I have gone to school with since kindergarten.”

“My favorite thing about being an officer is being in charge of the student body,” Imbach said. “I get to see my ideas play out and watch my peers have fun.”

As students prepare for life after high school, they remember why they were inspired to run for ASB.

“Considering that WHS was restricted from activities my freshmen, sophomore, and most of my junior year due to COVID, I wanted to ensure that my senior year was filled with events and activities to make up for the past three years so I was inspired to step into a position where I was able to work towards that goal,” Barrios, who plans on attending Cal Poly in the fall and majoring in ag communications said.

“I wanted to become an ASB officer because I believed it was one of the best ways to make a positive difference within the student body,” Imbach, who plans on attending Butte College in the fall to continue his education and play baseball said.

“One thing that inspired me to be an ASB Officer was knowing that I would be able to lead the student body in a positive way,” Williams, who is planning on attending college and majoring in animal science, said.

“The past couple of years have been extremely difficult for students and I wanted to help make a change that would ultimately bring back traditions and create new ones.”

“What inspired me to be an ASB officer was that I wanted to do more and take on a bigger role in the class,” said Fernandez, who plans on majoring in public relations either at California State University Long Beach or San Diego State University.

“Our responsibility is to create and execute events for the student body to participate in and enjoy.”

Officers also provided advice for the next class of students who may be interested in participating in ASB.

“My advice to students interested in serving as an officer is do it!” Imbach said. “If you are engaged in school and care about the happiness of the student body, it’s definitely the position for you. Without ASB, there wouldn’t be many fun and enjoyable events for the student body.”

“Advice I have for future students interested in being an officer is to be ready for greater responsibility and to follow your passion,” said Fernandez.

“It’s not easy; however, it is very rewarding,” said Williams. “Take every opportunity you have because you only have one chance to do it. If you want it, go for it, and don’t let anyone stop you. If you ever feel like you’re not capable of leading the whole student body, talk to your teachers or friends, and you will quickly realize there is a whole group of people who believe in you, all you have to do is believe in yourself!”

“Being an ASB Officer comes with a lot of responsibilities and organizational skills,” said Barrios. “If you have any desire to be a part of ASB or be an ASB officer, go for it! You are only in high school once! Do not let the opinions of others stop you from doing things that you want to do or accomplish. Do what makes you happy!”

One unique thing about this year’s WHS ASB officers is that all four attended Zamora Elementary School together.

“We have known each other and been friends since kindergarten,” Williams said. “We have seen each other grow over the years and it’s been the opportunity of a lifetime to have them as my teammates this year. I can truly say that I am extremely proud of each one of them and I wouldn’t have wanted to serve this year with anyone else.”