“We need to make the change”
Running for student council
By Nico Bambrick-Santoyo, 10
Inspired by what I learned from the life of the Gospel that Chiara Lubich taught, I try to be kind to those around me: to my mom, my dad, my sisters, my soccer teammates and my classmates.
This year I had the opportunity to run for student council for my elementary school. I saw the students who decided to run, and I knew that they were much more popular than me. I calculated that I really only had a 40% chance of winning. However, I talked to my dad, and we worked on a speech that could make a difference, whether I won or not. Here is a part of it:
“My name is Nicolas Bambrick-Santoyo and if you don’t remember, I was the lion in last year’s spring musical, The Wiz — roar!
“When I first came to Edgemont in kindergarten, I would not talk. Seriously, I didn’t talk for the first six months. You can ask my kindergarten teachers! What made me come alive were the teachers and friends that I made. I realized that what was going to push me through Edgemont were all the people who cared for me.
“How many of you have ever felt lonely? Has someone ever been mean to you? Have you ever felt bullied or left out? Well, I have a story for you.
“In this amazing book Wonder there was an extraordinary boy name Auggie with a facial deformity. He went to school for the first time, and some mean kids decided to bully him. But one day at a nature retreat, one kid stood up for him. It only took one kid, and the atmosphere changed.
“Before this year, I thought somebody else should do something good for this school and make a better change. Now I realize that I need to make the change. We need to make the change. This is what I stand for: a united Edgemont; a school where everyone is kind to each other, an atmosphere of love, a school where we can make the world a better place, and a school of peace.
“If you pick me for student council, I promise I will serve you and serve others. I promise to try and help you live what the peace assembly is about. We must laugh with each other, not laugh at each other. If you vote for me or not, I believe in Edgemont and I will serve you. Stand with me, and we can make a united Edgemont, a symbol of peace for the world.”
That was my speech, and by the way, I did end up being elected to the student council.
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