The student council of H V Jenkins High School, known as the Warrior Council, has earned multiple accolades at the annual convention of the Georgia Association of Student Councils this month.

The Warrior Council, advised by Dr. Dan Kamykowski, attended the 87^th annual GASC Convention at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Georgia, this past weekend. The event gave the students the opportunity to hear from renowned keynote speakers, learn new ideas about leadership and potential projects through workshops, and have fun with other student council students from all over Georgia. In all, over 800 student council students and advisors attended the Convention.

The first award the Warrior Council received was the Council of Excellence.  This award goes to student councils in Georgia who work diligently to be a voice for their student bodies and their schools by demonstrating ongoing and impactful events in their schools and communities.  “We complete regular projects each quarter to help our school be the best it can be for all our students and staff,” said Dr. Kamykowski. “The Council of Excellence is our way of measuring our success and seeing where we can improve.”  This is the seventh year that the Warrior Council has earned this distinction.  While every student council is eligible for this award, only a handful earned it this year. Even less have earned it as regularly as the Warrior Council.

The Warrior Council was also honored for its efforts on the GASC Executive Board.  Last year, the Warrior Council campaigned and was elected to the position of District Representative.  In this role, two students, seniors McKenzee Smith and Crystal Zheng, represented HVJ on the Executive Board of GASC. They attended regular meetings as well as GASC events.  Their role on the Executive Board was to be the voice of all student councils in the southern part of Georgia to GASC.  Additionally, they also had to organize and host the GASC District Conference.  “It was a lot of work for the students,” explained Dr. Kamykowski, “but the Warrior Council was eager to help make the vision of McKenzee and Crystal come to life for our conference.” The District Conference was held last November in downtown Savannah and was attended by over 300 student council members and advisors from across South Georgia.

Multiple students were also awarded for their successful completion of the Certified Student Leadership Program.  This program required students to participate in evening Zoom meetings in the Fall, complete assignments and reflections, attend GASC events, and prepare a final project to present in late November.  Three members of the Warrior Council, Martha Atena, Kala Godbee, and Reina Anderson, were all awarded a graduation cord for their completion of the program.  Additionally, due to the excellence of the group’s final presentation, the group was invited to present their project as a workshop at the GASC Convention.

One of the main prizes awarded at the GASC Convention are the GASC Senior Scholarships. This competitive program asks for graduating seniors to complete an application where they describe their experiences in student council, their other academic and co-curricular activities, and their future aspirations. Jenkins student Crystal Zheng was awarded a $500 scholarship for her application.  Her application included her participation as the past year’s District Representative and her participation in the Certified Student Leadership Program, the BLAST summer camp, and her participation in the Warrior Council as a project leader in the past.

In 2027, the Warrior Council is hoping to attend the VISION National Student Council Conference in Buford, Georgia.  If you or your organization would like to help make that dream a reality, please contact Dr. Kamykowski at [email protected].