West Ranch High School held elections for their 2022-2023 ASB Executive Board following a week of campaign posters, West Ranch TV interviews and social media posts on March 24, 2022. After days of serious campaigning from the candidates, the following students were elected as the 2022-2023 Executive Board officers: Siddharth Sudan for President, Ella Shin for Vice President, Josh Kim for Secretary, Shefali Breitbach for Treasurer and Carys Hay for Ambassador. The Paw Print learned more about the newly elected Executive Board, their campaigns and goals for the upcoming school year. 

Siddharth Sudan: President

Q: Please Introduce yourself.  

A: Hi, my name is Siddharth Sudan. I am a junior and I have been elected to be your ASB President for the 2022-2023 school year. 

Q: What was the campaign process like?

A: The campaign process was extremely long, as we had to campaign for a week and things started ramping up weeks before that. By March 8th, I was running on fumes, haha! I loved campaigning though, as I met so many people on campus and was able to have eye-opening conversations about our school.

Q: What are your goals for the year?

A: I have a few goals for the year. We spent the last two years stuck at home in distance learning, and most of us haven’t had the true high school experience yet. My goal is to make sure everyone on campus gets to experience what high school is supposed to be like.

Q: Why did you decide to run for president?

A: I decided I wanted to run for president because I want to make a difference. West Ranch is such an amazing school with so many opportunities, but there is still room for growth. The main thing I’ve noticed is making sure that everyone’s culture and identity is celebrated.

Q: What are you most excited for as president? 

A: I’m most excited to meet all the people of West Ranch!

Q: Is there anything you want the student body to know about you?

A: Feel free to reach out or talk to me about any questions, concerns, comments, or ideas!

Ella Shin: Vice President

Q: Please introduce yourself. 

A: Hi, my name is Ella Shin. I am the ASB Executive Board Vice President for the 2022-2023 term.

Q: What was the campaign process like?

A: For me, the campaign process was fairly simple because I ran unopposed. But I was still extremely grateful to even have the opportunity to run for an Executive Board position.

Q: What are your goals for the year?

A: My goals for the next year include making our school a more inclusive place and creating the best year for every student on campus. I would love to listen to the students directly and implement those ideas in any way possible.

Q: Why did you decide to run for vice president?

A: I decided to run for Vice President because I really wanted to further my role as a leader. I love being a part of ASB and interacting with different students, so I chose to run for Vice President so I could become a better leader and make our school a better place for everyone.

Q: What are you most excited for as vice president? 

A: As Vice President, I am most excited to work with my fellow Executive Board members to truly make a difference. We are so excited to plan a year that will be fun and interesting for every student on campus. 

Q: Is there anything you want the student body to know about you?

A: I am always available for questions, suggestions or anything else. I am here to serve you and make this next year the best yet!

Josh Kim: Secretary 

Q: Please introduce yourself.

A: Hi Wildcats! My name is Josh Kim and I’m currently in 11th grade. I was selected to be the next ASB secretary.

Q: What was the campaign process like?

A: The campaign process for me was mainly online. ASB did a good job of highlighting the elections and I used Instagram, as well as good old fashioned talking in person, to campaign.

Q: What are your goals for the year?

A: My goals for the year is to help establish a smooth transition back to normal and keep up the good work our current E-board has been doing. COVID restrictions are slowly being lifted now, and hopefully we’ll have a chance to experience a completely normal school year for 2022-2023. I’m really excited to plan more interactive events and activities if things go according to plan!

Q: Why did you decide to run for that secretary?

A: I decided to run for secretary because I had prior experience for this position and I wanted to play a bigger role in ASB. West Ranch ASB means a lot to me and I enjoy planning and participating in school events.

Q: What are you most excited for as secretary? 

A: I am most excited to work closely with the newly elected E-Board and plan fun school activities!

Q: Is there anything you want the student body to know about you?

A: I’m willing to work hard to make this next school year fun and exciting for everyone!

Shefali Breitbach: Treasurer 

Q: Please Introduce yourself. 

A: Hey, I’m Shefali Breitbach, your E-Board Treasurer for the 2022-2023 school year.

Q: What was the campaign process like?

A: Even though I was running unopposed, I still wanted the student body to know just how much I care about our school and this position. I made sure to post on my social media promotional videos and campaign posts to showcase this. I appreciate everyone who voted for me even though they did not have much of a choice. 

Q: What are your goals for the year?

A: For next year, I really want student involvement with ASB to be the best it can be. This school year, we were facing many unknowns with the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions of school activities. Coming out of the pandemic, however, I want school spirit to be better than pre-pandemic. I want to see amazing indoor rallies, super fun basketball and footballs with incredible pack leaders and exciting lunch-time activities. For the class of 2023, I want this school year to be unforgettable and tons of fun since it is our last one, and we missed out on so much of our high school experience.

Q: Why did you decide to run for treasurer?

A: I was drawn to the E-Board Treasurer position because although people don’t realize it, the school’s money management is so important to ensure a successful school year. The E-Board Treasurer does a lot of work for the school behind the scenes, and it is very important that the job is done well. I also hope to pursue a career in business and finance in the future, so the position just seemed right for me. 

Q: What are you most excited for as treasurer? 

A: I am beyond excited to work with my fellow E-Board members. They are some of the most dedicated people and truly love West Ranch ASB and the student body as much as I do. I know they will make the job so fun and enjoyable. 

Q: Is there anything you want the student body to know about you?

A: I want the student body to know that I am always willing and eager to hear their ideas. Even though I will be in charge of the financial side of ASB, I want to still be a voice for those who may feel like their voice is unheard on campus. Please, please, please, do not hesitate to come up and talk to me about anything you’d like to see for ASB or from West Ranch in general. Let’s make the 2022-2023 school year the best yet. 

Carys Hay: Ambassador 

Q: Please introduce yourself. 

A: Hi, my name is Carys. I am a Junior and I was just elected as ASB Ambassador.

Q: What was the campaign process like?

A: The campaign process involved a teacher recommendation and campaign approval by people signing a paper. I used butterflies as my theme to promote growth and change. I used the quote “spread your wings” to make sure voices are heard. Butterflies are very representative of me, so that’s why I chose them. 

Q: What are your goals for the year?

A: My biggest passion project for this year was mental health week, which is something I definitely want to continue and expand on next year. I would really like to talk to the other ambassadors about that. But for the coming year, my biggest goal is to help get rid of that disconnect that we felt through COVID. I want to make sure that we are communicating with other schools more frequently so we can learn what works and what doesn’t work, and how we can start to feel that connection again.

Q: Why did you decide to run for ambassador?

A: I wanted to run for ambassador versus something like president or secretary because I really enjoy talking to new people. Brainstorming and coming up with new things is one of my favorite things ever, and something I am very passionate about. Also, I love when we involve other schools and get to communicate with them. For example, for homecoming last year, Saugus high school did a carnival, and this year for our homecoming, we took elements from that and it worked very well for them.

Q: What are you most excited for as ambassador? 

A: I’m most excited for the new opportunities I get to work with, especially attending the Hart District meetings and maybe running for the school board.

Q: Is there anything you want the student body to know about you?

A: I would like people to know that I am always open to listen to them. My campaign was focused on being an approachable person for people to voice their opinions to, when maybe they don’t feel as comfortable speaking to somebody else. I want to be someone who is willing to hear you out, so if you have concerns please come to me and I am open to hear it. I truly love ASB and always am here to help.