A total of 33 EPISD Student Council delegates joined nearly 5000 students and advisors representing more than 400 student councils from across the state that converged on the Arlington Convention Center April 14-16, for the Texas Association of Student Councils (TASC) Annual Conference.
Texas High School hosted the conference which is the largest gathering of student council leaders in the United States.
This year’s theme “DEEPEN YOUR HEART, TEXAS” urged students and councils to do more to make a positive difference in their schools and communities. The state service project, Deepen Your Heart, Reach Out Your Hand, asked councils to work to eradicate the travesty of Human Trafficking.
The conference included presentations by groups such as Dude, Be Nice; and Teens in the Driver Seat; breakouts about projects and opportunities, and an evening at Six Flags. Speakers included Houston Kraft, Mike Smith Live, and Jesse LeBeau.
One of the primary purposes of the spring conference is to elect state officers. Eleven candidate schools campaigned during the conference. The election was held Sunday with a swearing-in ceremony Monday morning.
“We appreciate our principals Mr. John Cox and Jesus Diaz-Wever for allowing us to attend this conference," stated Dolores Rodriguez, EPHS Student Council adviser. “This gathering benefits our local Student Councils by giving our members an opportunity to network and exchange ideas with other student leaders from across the state. After the convention our students always come back motivated and excited. Most importantly they come back with fresh ideas meant to improve our campuses and make a difference in our community.”
"State convention is always an amazing experience, and I've had the prividege to attend this conference for the past five years. Every time is a new adventure and I am able to grow more as a leader and celebrate our school's hard work paying off." stated Pablo Garcia, Winn HS Student Council president.
"I have been fortunate enough to spend the last decade of my career working with an amazing group of student leaders because of Student Council. I truly value this time to spend with them at the state convention where we can acknowledge their achievements," added Dionni Olivares, Winn HS Student Council adviser.
"It was an amazing experience, not only for me, but for everyone in my council that attended the TASC State Convention; we not only heard the best presenters in Texas, but nationwide," stated Jacqueline Gonzalez, EPHS Student Council president. "This conference motivated us to go back to our campus, EPHS, and become better leaders in our school and community. I thank my sponsors, Dolores Rodriguez and Carmen Castañeda, as well as the other advisers/chaperones Ms. Dionni Olivares, Ms. Jeannette Dickerson, and Mr. Jay Mendoza, WHS Asst. Principal, for the time they dedicated to make this trip a success."
The students attending the conference are all members of the district's award winning high schools' Student Councils. Both EPHS and WHS were recognized by TASC as sweepstakes winners for the 2017-2018 school year. In order to receive this recognition the students work hard all year long sacrificing a lot of their personal time to carry out the many projects and events that the councils host.
TASC is a non-profit serving high school and middle level student councils in Texas. Sponsored by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals, its purposes are to develop leadership abilities in students, promote democracy as a way of life, and uphold high standards for local councils. With over 1300 member schools, it is the largest state student council organization in the US.
