The role of student governor has been a tradition since this school opened. Responsibilities of the governor include morning announcements, working with staff, holding events for the student body, and many more. Senior Olivia Stoerkel is the student governor this year, and her role has changed significantly compared to what a previous governor would have encountered. 

  “I was really looking forward to [the] Patriot game,” Stoerkel said. “West’s and Central’s governors walk out on the field and present veterans with the jerseys that we signed for them. I didn’t get to do that [but it] would have been super cool.”

   Although she wasn’t able to go and experience events she was looking forward to, Stoerkel was very excited to become the governor, and remembers exactly how she found out. 

   “It was like 11:34 [p.m.] some night in June in the summer and I was listening to ‘Pick up the Phone’ by Travis Scott—that’s one of my favorite songs—-having a dance party in my room, trying to shake the nerves out and I got the email and I started screaming and I ran down the hallway,” Stoerkel said.

   Along with being the governor, Stoerkel is the head of the health committee in NHS and one of the captains on the JV Girls Tennis team. As governor, Stoerkel has many jobs and commitments that she has to stay on top of, such as running the student senate class with her executive board, attending interviews, contributing to the morning announcements, and more. 

   “Liv has made much improvement in handling the stress that comes with being the governor,” Darren Frechette, Student Senate advisor, said. “She has done a great job of juggling being a student, an athlete, and the governor.”

   The governor works with a group of four elected officials in senate, the executive board, who all have separate jobs which in turn support Stoerkel. 

   “[The executive board helps] me so much, I couldn’t do it without them,” Stoerkel said. “In a typical year, I’d be more active at events and stuff like that.”

   As senate elections approach, Stoerkel thinks that anyone in the class is more than capable of being next year’s governor.

   “[Being governor] puts [the individual] in a leadership role where they have to be a listener, be able to give input and provide feedback, communicate with a variety of people, and have the ability to bring people together,” Frechette said. 

   Over the course of the year, Stoerkel has learned a lot and has become more prepared for her future which will soon be taking place in Holland, MI, at Hope College.

   “I think [being governor] has taught me a lot of leadership skills and just made me a stronger person,” Stoerkel said. “I wish I knew [at the beginning of the year] that it truly is impossible to make everyone happy but at the end of the day it comes down to doing what’s best for the school and trusting the fact that you got elected for a reason.”

   As the year comes to an end, Stoerkel looks back on her high school years, her favorite being freshman year, and all the memories that came with them as well as the fact that she won’t be walking through the doors on the first day of school. 

   “It’s kinda sad, it’s kinda weird too,” Stoerkel said. “I’m a senior and I’m graduating and I’m not gonna be here [in the fall].”

   With a weird senior year, the governor has had some obstacles to overcome but as the governor, Stoerkel has made a big impression on the school.

   “We’ve had many great governors,” Frechette said, “but I believe [Stoerkel’s] consistency on decisions made in senate has been a strength that sets her apart from other governors.”

   Governor Stoerkel is getting ready to leave her high school years and move to a new school even though she feels as though she blinked and flew through all four years of high school.

   “Just make the most of your high school experience, don’t be afraid to go out there and go to games and go to events that NHS has. Put yourself out there because that’s the best way that you can just indulge in your life,” Stoerkel said. “I think it’s super important that you just try really hard to just engulf yourself in West culture.”