On Thursday, April 28th, students will gather at I-Block in the PFAC to hear candidates’ speeches and vote for the 2022-2023 Student Council Executive Board.  One of these hopefuls is Jessica Cao (‘24), a rising junior, looking to beat rival candidate Joey Wan (‘23) in the vote and become Vice President.  The Patriot spoke to her via email to discuss her plans for the year should she be elected.

Cao is new to Viewpoint, having come to the school last year, but has already immersed herself in student affairs through attending Student Council meetings as a class officer.  She wants students to know that new doesn’t mean inexperienced in the slightest.  “It’s often that being an unfamiliar face implies unfamiliarity in Viewpoint politics, however, as a current student council officer, I have experience in the framework of how collaboration works among students and administrators,” she writes.

If elected, Cao will replace the incumbent Vice President Barry Yao, who will depart from his position at the end of this year. 

One of Cao’s main concerns for the school year is collaboration with the administration in order to allow students as much freedom to time manage as possible.  “I believe there’s a lack of communication between students and faculty with balancing how students manage their time during the week, and we need to make/create a physical space for students to destress on campus and/or promote effective communication and scheduling among extracurricular and academic communities,” she says. Cao is well aware of the importance of a partnership between administration and students to maximize productivity as well as happiness, and she believes that finding common ground is the key to strengthening this partnership.  She writes, “Rather than lobbying Viewpoint administrators and convincing them to align with students, I believe it’s more important to focus on collaboration and understanding between the student body and admin.  To ensure school policies align with student values, common ground is needed among all members of our community.”

With plans already to run for EB President the following year, Jessica’s ideas are rooted in ambition, but she believes that they are attainable goals, should they be backed by a determined student council and a student body that feels supported and heard by them.  “I want to make sure VP’s student council can actually hear the opinions and perspectives of students by implementing a physical feedback box in the hallway and getting first-hand input.  No matter how big or small your concerns may be, I will always listen to your feedback,” she says.  

Next school year’s Vice President will be determined by the student vote in the PFAC this Thursday.  Jessica’s slogan?  “Vote for Cao, she won’t let you down!”