As the school year comes to a close and graduation is right around the corner, Erie High School’s Student Government wraps up another year of service, leadership, and spirit.
The 2024-2025 school year brought with it a host of events and initiatives, many of which were spearheaded by senior leaders who have dedicated so much of their high school journey to StuGo. Among them are Student Body President Kennedy Gorske and Social Media Manager Melanie Bell, both of whom reflect with pride and emotion on their final year.
For Kennedy Gorske, the role of Student Body President was more than a title—it was a mission. “I am most proud of uniting our student body and creating events that a variety of people could attend and participate in,” Gorske stated. This goal of inclusivity and community remained at the forefront of her efforts throughout the year, and was met with both triumphs and trials.
“Some unexpected challenges I faced were dealing with ideas getting shut down and having to work around limitations,” she admitted, but rather than letting obstacles halt progress, Gorske found ways to navigate around them, always keeping the broader student experience in mind.
Throughout the year a sense of togetherness has emerged through the school—especially among the senior class, ” I think we helped bring our class together for big events and created more of a community atmosphere,” Gorske reflected.
Although StuGo hosted a large number of events for the student body, a standout memory for Gorske was senior sunrise. “I was really impressed at how many people showed up and how much of a success it was,” she said, recalling the moment with pride.
However, her favorite event of the year was Homecoming Week. “I loved it but the only thing I would change would be the decorations we had gotten,” she laughed.
Looking ahead, Gorske is set to attend the University of Mississippi, where she plans to double major in elementary education and business management, with a minor in Spanish. Her time in StuGo has directly impacted this academic path. “Stugo definitely influenced the business management side of my major. I am also planning on doing some sort of Stugo or senate club in college. I love being involved,” she shared. As she prepares to pass the baton, Gorske urges the next President “to stay on top of things and think of the student body as a whole when making decisions.”
Meanwhile, Melanie Bell, who has served as Social Media Manager, leaves behind a legacy of transformation. “I guess over the past four years, I feel like myself and my committee have really turned around the social media. I feel like we’ve made it more engaging, and I feel like we’ve also kind of created a bigger community through the social media,” Bell added.
She emphasized how the approach to digital engagement changed significantly during her tenure. “Like we’ve gained a huge following, almost everybody in our school knows about the social media, and I think that’s just because we changed it from just giving information to engagement. And I mean, it’s really how people know everything that’s going on, and I think that we really just turned it around, and more and more people are finding out about it,” she commented.
Bell believes that this digital presence had a deep impact on the student body. “It really just creates an engagement and a community that wouldn’t be here without the social media. I think that I mean being inclusive, and trying our best to not exclude anyone has just helped people feel this sort of community, within Erie,” she reflected. ” it just creates this positive environment, because everyone feels like they have a light shining on them, and that they feel included.”
Among the many events she covered, Wish Week stood out as particularly meaningful, “because this was only our second year doing wish week, and to me, it’s so special because the fact that we can raise money for someone who has a wish that we can like, also spread awareness to the bigger picture was really important to me,” she mentioned. “And I guess just highlighting all of the events and helping just spread awareness was so special. And I’m sad we only did it for two years, but I hope that next year, the Social Media Manager can also feel that positivity.”
Bell will be heading to the University of Colorado Boulder to major in business, and she’s also committed to the cheerleading team. “I think being in StuGo has helped my leadership skills, and I think that I really want to run my own business, and because of these leadership skills that I learned solely through StuGo, I feel like it will really, really help me when I major in business,” she added.
As with Gorske, Bell hopes to remain involved in leadership at the college level. ” I really hope to be a part of the Student Government group at CU,” she confirmed.
Reflecting on her role, Bell is completely satisfied and is eager to pass on what she’s learned. “I wouldn’t change anything. However I would say to always make sure that everyone feels included, and even if you have to ask questions. Ask questions, because something that I love about being social media manager is that I’ve learned so much about different communities and groups within Erie that I normally wouldn’t know about, and I think that because I’ve kind of expanded on that, it’s really helped me also learn the importance of inclusivity and just shining lights on all different areas.”
As these two seniors prepare to embark on their next chapters, the legacy they leave behind is a testament to the power of student leadership. Not just about events planned or posts shared—they’re about creating community, fostering inclusion, and leaving a positive mark on Erie High School. Through challenges, triumphs, and personal growth, both Kennedy Gorske and Melanie Bell exemplified what it means to lead with heart. The next generation of StuGo has big shoes to fill, but thanks to their efforts, they won’t be starting from scratch—they’ll be continuing a tradition of purpose-driven leadership.
