The MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation’s Student Leader Board is composed of a group of hard-working students ranging from grades 6 to 12. This group of students is committed to leadership, change, and being a positive influence on those around them. The main positions of the Student Leader Board are President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Social Chair. The other roles include 6th to 11th grade representatives and 9th grade president.
Ashlei, Student Leader Board Vice President, with MaliVai at the 2024 Scholarship Award Ceremony
We meet each week to discuss things such as program improvement, possible student events, fundraisers, and community service opportunities. Our meetings are a chance each other to learn teamwork, event planning, and leadership skills. Currently we are planning a hot food sale that will occur on the last Friday of each month, and a clothing drive for the homeless. These are just two of the countless things set into motion by our leader board.
The Student Leader Board organizes community service events, fundraisers, and field trips. Our community service events consist of cleaning up the community, food & clothing drives for the homeless, and making toys for pets in local shelters. We often organize fundraisers to pay for things such as our end of the year trip and college tours throughout the year. Over the years, we have organized fundraisers such as hot food sales, Valentine’s Day candy bag sales, and bake sales.
Currently, we are planning a 3–4-day Spring Break trip to Orlando! The organization and planning of this field trip very tedious. In this process, we are learning the importance of budgeting and how important it is to prioritize. We are planning to visit the following colleges: Bethune-Cookman, University of Central Florida, Cambridge, and Full Sail University. In addition to the college tours, we plan to organize fun and educational activities/trips while we’re there. We have looked into visiting the Crayola Experience, Orlando Science Center, and the Holocaust Museum.
The main goal of the Student Leader Board is to create a fun yet educational environment for our peers. We work to influence evolution in our counterparts. We push our peers to grow academically, socially, and mentally. The members on our board often spend one-on-one time with other students when they’re going through something or just need someone to confide in.
In addition, we also manage the snack store for MWYF in the Teen Center. We develop inventories where we that require us to organize the supplies. We also are responsible for managing the financial aspects of the store. It is our daily responsibility to keep accurate records of the revenue and expenses.
All in all, the Student Leader Board has given us students many opportunities to make a difference at MWYF. From planning major events for our peers, to creating positive experiences, managing the finances of the snack store. This program awards students with many opportunities to create change that will have a meaningful impact on all our lives.
-Ashlei, 11th Grade
