Student Government - Maryland
“Passion is infectious. If you are enthusiastic about your work, others around you will be enthusiastic as well.”
Chloe Bethel was an active participant and a leader in student government during her middle and high school years. A student at Walt Whitman, a high school of nearly 1,800 students, she was an integral part of the leadership of the school. Chloe was president of her freshman and sophomore classes, secretary of the SGA (Student Government Association) her junior year, and president of the school as a senior. It had been more than ten years since a girl had been elected to the SGA presidency, and she is proud of many things that she accomplished in her year as president, but a few things stand out:
Student government sponsored, and Chloe coordinated and oversaw, the production of Every 15 Minutes—an award-winning drunk driving education program. The 25-minute film simulated a deadly car crash in cooperation with local police department, fire and rescue squads and a local hospital. They held a day-long, interactive, drunk-driving awareness education program at school. The project has been nominated for a number of awards. In addition to Every 15 Minutes, Chloe ran two successful blood drives, coordinated a voter registration campaign, and oversaw more than a dozen events that raised more than $50,000 for school improvements and charitable organizations. As president of the school, Chloe also represented the SGA at county-wide meetings, at Parent Teacher meetings and other county and state-wide events. She was also responsible for running the student leadership class, which met every day to plan and coordinate student activities. Participants included student government representatives and other selected leaders of the sophomore, junior and senior classes.
In addition to this school leadership role, Chloe was appointed to the Youth Advisory Committee to the County Executive in her Junior year of High School and was selected to represent her school at the HOBY state-wide leadership conference as a sophomore. She has been nominated for the Presidential Leadership Award, a national award for high school leadership. She received the Kodak Award for citizenship and leadership in 2006 and was the Co-captain of the Varsity Tennis Team her senior year.
How did you become interested and involved in student government?
I can’t remember not being involved. I started working in the Student Government Association (SGA) back in elementary school, and continued through middle school. At the beginning of high school, when there was a meeting for freshmen interested in being SGA elected officers, I knew instantly that I wanted to run. At that point, I was yearning for a way to get involved and feel a part of the school.
What prompted you to become a leader?
I come from a family of leaders. My mother is the director of a non-profit organization, Jewish Women International, and also helped found The Washington Area Women’s Foundation. Growing up, I was continually amazed by the respect that others had for her, and the integrity and honesty with which she did her job. My leadership ambitions had a lot to do with wanting to emulate my mother.
What steps did you take to achieve your goals?
In high school, my goals were to execute successful projects, and of course, to continue getting elected. To accomplish the latter, I put confidence in my reputation, hoping that my peers saw how dedicated and reliable I was. I never became swept up in the pettiness of cliques, or the appeal of activities to write on my college applications. I just let my work speak for itself, and it did. Over the course of my high school career, I was elected Freshman and Sophomore Class President in the lower tier of the SGA, and then Secretary and President of the higher tier, the Executive Board. There hadn’t been a female president in at least ten years, so it was quite an accomplishment!
What obstacles have you faced in achieving your goals?
As President, my main obstacle was how to understand the needs of all four grades of students. I faced this challenge most often during the planning and execution of Every 15 Minutes, a drunk driving prevention program. I had to ask myself key questions: What message will seniors respond best to? How can I include freshman and sophomores who don’t yet have their licenses? As I teen, what do I think will have the maximum impact?
How have you confronted them?
I utilized other members of the SGA. Whitman has a unique setup where the president of student government runs the Leadership Class, a group of both elected officials and student volunteers who work every day to execute SGA events. I relied on the opinions of class members to help me understand the needs and mindset of each grade.
How has your experience been shaped by being a woman?
As a woman, I knew that I would have to work harder in order to prove myself, be taken seriously, and fight stereotypes. I wanted to be seen as a strong individual, a girl who was serious and committed, and knew how to get a job done and garner respect. As women, we have to work for those things—that positive reputation—while men, just based on appearance, are often handed them at the get-go.
What lessons have you learned from your experiences?
I learned the importance of communication, schedules, and time management. But most significantly, I’ve learned that at the end of the day, I need to be able to look at myself in the mirror, to be proud of the work that I’ve done.
If you had the chance, would you have done anything differently? If so, what and why?
I really don’t think so. Being part of student government shaped my identity and gave me a place at Whitman. I view the mistakes I’ve made as learning experiences.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I have no idea what I want to do after college. People joke that I’ll be some hot shot politician. I’m not so sure, but I’ll continue to be a leader, and be grounded by a sense of integrity and philanthropy.
What advice do you have for young girls who are interested in student government or have leadership aspirations?
Do things that you are passionate about. Passion is infectious; if you are enthusiastic about your work, others around you will be enthusiastic as well.
