Senior Spotlight - The CSIA Student Council Presidents

Resilience. It’s a word that echoes deep within the quiet moments, the late nights, and the unspoken struggles of leading a student body of 600+ students. For Seungyun Lee (26’), Jaewon Lee (26’), and Yeha Jeong (26’), the high school student council presidents, resilience is what guides their leadership through challenges, growth, and sacrifice.

For them, student council isn’t just about organizing events or making trivial decisions. It was about leading through change, learning through mistakes, and making an impact not just through action, but through perseverance. “Leadership isn’t about control,” Jaewon reflected thoughtfully. “It’s about compromise.”

As vice president, Jaewon often acts as a bridge between students and the administration, as well as between ambition and practicality. Through navigating disputes to find the middle ground, he learned that leadership wasn’t about appeasing everyone. Rather, he had to make the tough calls. “Leadership is about doing what’s right, not what’s easy.”

Seungyoon, the president, echoed this, sharing how her leadership approach evolved. “At first, I thought I needed to be more proactive in sharing my ideas. But I realized good leadership is about consistency. Sometimes that means stepping back to let others shine, or choosing to listen rather than speak. Most of the time, it's about finding the purpose in your actions - both for yourself and for others - and doing the best you can.”

For vice president Yeha, her leadership was about empathy and behind-the-scenes dedication. “It’s not always the visible work that matters,” she said. “It’s the long hours spent debating, adjusting, and sacrificing, often without recognition. But that’s the job you give, even when no one sees it.”

Despite challenges, their leadership remains bold. Yeah recalled their participation in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. “It wasn’t easy,” she said, “But we had to speak up. If we only discuss what's comfortable, nothing will change.”

Student council wasn’t always in the cards for the trio. Jaewon says joining the student council wasn’t something he’d planned, but ended up becoming a defining part of his school life. “It was like fireworks,” he said. “It started small, but once the spark ignited, it grew into something bigger than me. I’m not in it for the name value, but the chance to contribute to my community.”

Seungyun describes her student council journey as one of sacrifice and courage. Highlighting her role as a mediator in relaying students’ voices, she says, “understanding and effectively communicating the purpose of diverse groups are essential.” For her, leadership wasn’t just about pushing for change, but about identifying needs and facilitating solutions. 

When asked to sum up their high school experience in a word, they each offered one: courage, challenge, and journey. ‘Courage’ for stepping into the unknown and daring to lead, ‘challenge’ for the hurdles that tested their resilience and character, and ‘journey’ for the growth, the memories, and the path that shaped who they are today.

Their advice for future leaders? Live with no regrets. “Your time is limited, so make the most of it. There will always be growing pains. If you can’t endure it now, how can you dare to dream in the future? Always keep going and never give up.