As if senior year wasn’t busy enough – fitting in college field trips and extracurricular activities into a schedule already packed with sports and schoolwork – Hailie Webster can add another task to her repertoire.
The senior is serving as this year’s student board member, a representative from the student body to the Escalon School Board. She attends the board meetings, takes part in discussions and can even motion or second certain items.
“I was excited about it because my mom goes to all the board meetings,” Webster admitted of filling the role and having her elementary school principal/mother at the sessions as well.
Webster is the EHS Associated Student Body Vice President, an office that includes serving as the student board representative.
“My role is to let the board know what the student body is doing at the schools, I’ve reported on Kindness Week, Senior Sunrise, now we have Homecoming coming up,” Webster noted. “I’m also learning a lot, it’s pretty cool to see how they facilitate the meetings, it is very professional.”
She said an interesting discussion for her this year was the new wellness policy for the district, which puts in place certain restrictions as to what food items can and can’t be sold. Webster doesn’t get to vote on items brought before the board but she can move items to the floor for discussion, motion or second a motion.
She is still working up to that, she said.
“It’s not like I’m intimidated,” she admitted, but said her first few sessions, she has preferred to sit back and learn as opposed to getting involved in the motions or seconds. The school board meets twice a month.
She also is familiar with the rules of order, as ASB VP, she helps facilitate those meetings.
“I help run the class, too, with the president and officers, we bring up ideas and help get things done,” she said of planning schoolwide events and activities.
Right now, the ASB is in the midst of preparing for Homecoming Week, Oct. 8 through 12, with the Homecoming parade and football game against Ripon scheduled for Friday, Oct. 12.
Webster also recently fit in a trip to the East Coast, as she has received a partial scholarship to attend University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she will play softball.
She was one of eight recruits who toured the campus and learned about the softball program; there were two each from North Carolina, Florida and Alabama, one from Texas and Webster.
She has not yet settled on a career choice, but said she is interested in medical engineering, among other options.
“My mind goes 100 different ways,” Webster admitted. “I think maybe I want to be a chiropractor, maybe a radiologist.”
The senior said she is excited to have the opportunity to serve the student body and be their “voice” to the school board. She also is grateful for the support she has received through the years, which she said has helped shape her and prepare her for the future.
“Being in a community that cares about you, how everyone supports everyone,” she said. “It builds a good sense of character and helped teach me how to approach life.”
