Tumwater High School ASB – Taking Leadership Outside Of The School And Into The Community

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Tumwater ASB officers Courtney Knox, Devon Dickman, Hannah Fine, Kristina Couch, Michelle Smith and Marissa Kelly

Being a student leader isn’t always about taking care of business inside the school.  Sometimes it’s about reaching out and taking a leadership role in the community.  At least that’s the way the Associated Student Body (ASB) officers at Tumwater High School see it.  In addition to organizing school dances and assemblies, this team of six is responsible for spearheading a number of events that benefit the entire south sound area. 

Whether it’s participation in the “Pennies for Patients” program of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or a student lead fund drive for the Boys’ and Girls’ club, the goal is to make their school a better place by making the world they live in a better place.  Tumwater ASB Body Vice President Marissa Kelly summed it up, “I think that our school is really focused on the community.  We’re always trying to do things that include the community.” 

Their latest project was a one-day blood drive held on March 5th.  According to Tori Fairhurst of the Puget Sound Blood Center, “Twenty percent of the blood for the Blood Center in western Washington comes from high school students.”  Student coordinated drives like the three that the Tumwater ASB organizes each year are pivotal to the success of the Blood Center, which provides blood and blood components to area hospitals. 

Blood Center workers get ready to process some more Tumwater High School donors

Tumwater High School has been hosting blood drives since 1995.  Senior Hannah Fine was in charge of the latest one.  Fine serves as both secretary of the ASB and the head of the Community Service Committee.   Among her responsibilities were providing student volunteers to help the Blood Center workers and coordinating donor sign ups.  “From the leadership class, we have about 15 who will stay, off and on, all day,” she explained.

During their last drive, “We had about 80 (students) come out and give blood,” said Fine.  This time she was expecting between 50 and 60 students to participate.  Those are pretty impressive numbers when you consider that donors must be a minimum of 16 years old and 110 lbs., and anyone under 18 must have parental permission to donate the first time.   Of the roughly 500 students eligible to donate, most are first time donors.  Teachers and community members are also encouraged to donate, but it is the students who come in the greatest numbers.

Fine is a good ambassador for the program. “When people donate blood, they’re saving three lives,” she explained.  Each person donates a pint.  50 units of blood collected over one school day equals 150 people who can receive potentially lifesaving blood products.  That’s a pretty heady accomplishment for a bunch of high school students.

Jamie Weeks is Tumwater’s Activities Director and teaches the leadership classes.  “That’s why I do this,” he said, “to teach them how to work with groups and to be a team leader, to work with different personalities and different ways of doing things, and to actually plan and implement a whole project.” 

 

Tumwater student Robert Cuna recovers with a bottle of Gatorade after donating blood

And it’s not just the blood drive that these future community leaders are spearheading.  Devon Dickman, another ASB officer explained that they recently completed a Dollar Drive for the Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Tumwater.  Over a five day period, Dickman and his committee “created a party” atmosphere during lunch period, playing music and encouraging students to contribute.  He brought in four elementary school students who actually participate in the Club to speak at an assembly, “to show where the money really goes and how it affects these kids.”

It may have taken time to coordinate, but a few lunch hours spent collecting pocket change from the student body resulted in over $350 being added to the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs’ Coffers.  In a few weeks, they’ll be at it again, this time collecting for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

As the Social Chair on Tumwater’s ASB, Michelle Smith focuses a lot of her attention on projects and events that are more student-centered.  Still, her reason for being involved in leadership and the ASB is reflective of the group as a whole.   “I didn’t want to leave high school (thinking) that I ‘just went through’ and didn’t make a difference in my school.” 

The Tumwater ASB:  They’re reaching outside of their school in addition to working within it to create a better community for everyone.

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