Paul Holm

Junior Paul Holm, Class of 2024 president, is striving to make the student government more welcoming and enjoyable for every student. 

“I want to bring normalcy into student government and make it appear more approachable rather than intimidating,” said Holm. 

Holm’s own light-hearted approach to his role is the main way he is trying to make student government have a more pleasant, rather than authoritarian, tone.

“I would rather make people laugh than make all of these changes,” Holm added.

He said he also enjoys networking and creating relationships built on trust so that the students he represents are able to come to him to express concerns or ask questions. He believes that having a voice in the school is crucial, but many students find it difficult to make a stand, Holm added.

“I want to bring a sense of comfort into the government and make it more approachable to every student,” he said. “I want them to feel like they can have a breath of fresh air coming to us with anything.”

”I think that people stating their concerns in a comfortable way is very important,” he added.

Honoring the ideas he receives from the students in the Class of 2024, Holm meets with the Vice Presidents to discuss matters at hand such as planning infographics, fundraisers, and student activities.

“We’re really a team and none of us are above each other. I admire all of my student government friends for what they do,” he said.

Amani Arunga

Freshman Amani Arunga, Class of 2026 president, has a goal to make the first year of her peers’ high school experience memorable.

“I really want to make everyone’s high school experience more enjoyable and enhance the memories that people make here,” she said.

She said she hopes that the actions she takes can translate into the real world in the sense of a progressing community, space, and school. 

“I want to focus on community service and organize projects such as food drives and donating to local shelters,” according to Arunga.

Furthermore, Arunga said she wants to find out what her peers think is most important.

“I’d like to collect student input relating to all aspects of student government, like event planning, organization, and community outreach,” she said.

Arunga added, “I also want to be the kind of leader people can reach out to and share opinions surrounding the school, relationships, and anything they see with.”

Upon graduation, Arunga looks to immerse herself in politics outside of North.

“Part of the reason I love politics is because of Stacey Adams. She is a huge idol of mine because of her effect on the community and her role in the government is admirable and necessary,” according to Arunga.

Jacob Wu

Sophomore Jacob Wu, Class of 2025 president, has a logistical and straightforward outlook on his responsibilities to his peers. His goals as president this year include raising money for the class’s senior prom and encouraging school spirit among students.

Wu enjoys doing fundraisers, community service, and organizing events. However, according to Wu, there isn’t an abundance of opportunities to fulfill such hopes currently because most people are busy during wintertime, and raising the money to fund those events are difficult.

In addition, Wu aims for his presidency to be primarily focused on raising money for prom. “Presidency isn’t about politics, but raising money,” he said.

One person Wu looks up to is his brother, a figure whom he views as special and who carved out a path to make everything simple for him.

Clara Lake

Meeting new people, creating meaningful connections, and forming a welcoming community with other students are all part of the plan for senior Clara Lake, Class of 2023 president. 

More than anything, she hopes to give students a memorable experience in their final year of high school, she said.

“I want to provide fun opportunities for our class to connect, for example prom. The vice presidents and I are trying to keep the ticket price as low as possible for accessibility but still trying to maintain the enjoyable atmosphere of the event,” said Lake.

In addition to the goal of creating memories for seniors, Lake said she strives to make improvements for the community around North. In the fall of last year, Lake and her student council team participated in conferences with the Newton city council and Vice Principal Amy Winston to promote more parking permits for North students.

“It was a very educational experience and I learned a lot about our community,” she said.

The class officers also organized book drives and an event called Putting for Patients to raise money for pediatric care at the Boston Children’s Hospital.

“We ended up raising $3000 for the event and I think these events are good because it’s nice to give back to the community,” she said.

Commenting on her fellow officers, she added, “We work really well together and when there’s a major project to work on, we delegate jobs and discuss them.”

Lake gives much credit to her parents for helping her get to her position now.

“My parents are very hardworking and passionate about the things they do. They support me and have inspired me to create connections with people. They also sparked my interest in medicine and science because those are the fields they work in,” said Lake.