For many years, Parkdale SGA has arguably been the most productive student government county wide.  However, in the past two years–primarily due to distance learning– the amount of participation has declined tremendously. 

SGA has been known to help boost students’ college  applications yearly and help  students learn responsibility with time management.  Senior Realyn Del Campo, who serves as Parkdale’s Student Body President, explained how much she grew through her leadership position.

“I would say it benefited me by increasing my leadership skills and becoming  more outgoing,” said Del Campo. “I used to be a very shy person before high school, but I’ve outgrown  that and it has helped  me make connections in and out of school. I learned more about government and policy within the county and countrywide  if possible.” 

Del Campo also explained that most of her activities she included in her college applications were based on her participation in student government. 

“I am sure colleges will notice my involvement throughout my four years and I’m proud of where I am now,” she said.

However, because of distance learning, sophomores in the Class of 2024 largely missed out on their opportunity to join SGA because of the difficulty in receiving information on the application process.  Similarly, the freshmen class of 2025 was also missing students in their leadership positions.

According to Bentley University, joining an organization helps you learn more about yourself including being more aware of the situations around you. Students can also learn from their peers and test their knowledge.  These are the skills and strategies that SGA is hoping to bestow upon the sophomore and freshman classes through recruitment for leadership positions.

English teacher Mr. Neville Adams, who has led Parkdale’s SGA for over a decade, explained the importance of having student leadership in each class.

“Student government gives students a voice and even the ones that have a hard time being heard by adults,” he said. “It’s an organized group that comes together to solve problems other students might have.” 

He further explained that students serve “as advocates and do things outside of school and the community. They believe in training each other, which keeps it as strong as it’s been going.”

Unfortunately, the pandemic has nearly put a stop to the SGA’s thriving streak. Many students who are new to the Parkdale community are unaware of the student government organization.  They’re uninformed of the contributions and benefits of the organizations. 

“The biggest contribution would be doing a lot of activities to increase school spirit and participating in more global issues that help  the school from the inside and outside,” said Mr. Adams. “Being a part of County and State makes the students heard more [… They can] even be advocates for policies that directly impacts the students.” 

With heavy recruitment in the last few weeks, the freshman and sophomore classes are looking to have officers in the near future.