With arms around each other, we nervously huddled together in the back gym hallway, waiting. The feeling of disappointment sank in as we heard the final name being called and the cheers that followed. Three years of hard work, showing up to early morning meetings and staying late after school all seemed as if it amounted to nothing. We had lost the Student Association Executive Board election, and with it went the dream we’d had since freshman year.
Three years ago we eagerly joined freshman board and quickly found an outlet for our creativity and a place that provided us with a sense of community. We took the first risk together, applying to be class board liaisons our freshman year. We spent our time organizing fundraisers and leading class events. Through these efforts, we found our high school goal: being on S.A. Board together.
When the confetti canons blew and we weren’t on the gym floor celebrating, it felt like years of hard work had gone to waste. It was those same decorations that we had helped set up the night before, hoping we’d watch the confetti fall down around us while holding the infamous green and gold striped shirts.
As the winners walked past us, a mix of disappointment, frustration and grief flooded our minds as we tried to congratulate them. We began to question why we had dedicated so much time and effort to class board when no one had recognized it. Once we took a step back to reflect, we realized our work hadn’t gone completely unnoticed. Friends, teachers, parents and others in the community were quick to reach out and express their support after the results of the election were announced. But even if they hadn’t, recognition from others or winning the election shouldn’t be the ultimate prize.
The purpose of dedicating passion toward an activity like class board is to make an impact on the community rather than just to earn a title. We were class board liaisons for three years. We had the title, but that didn’t matter to us. We were simply just thankful that being liaisons helped us to form new connections and understand what it means to be a part of a team. Even without the S.A. Board label, we have already spent our mornings designing the senior class T-shirt and planning Senior Sunrise. We will continue to spend our time contributing to class board and do our best to give back the positive experiences we’ve gained over the last three years.
We aren’t on S.A. Board like we’d originally planned, but we’re still leaders in other respects. We can look back on our high school experience and be proud of all that we accomplished, even if it doesn’t look quite like what we pictured from the start. Losing the election was hard on both of us at first, but losing has taken us further than winning ever could.