As the West Plains High School Student Council sponsor, Kirsten Peterson wants the organization to help build a school where every student feels connected, involved and proud to belong.
"We are super-excited to continue to grow our Special Olympics program," Peterson said. "We're also excited to implement new events and activities for the students. Our goal is to make school fun and accepting, and a place that people look forward to being."
That mission will be on full display in October, when West Plains High School hosts the southwest district conference of the Missouri Association of Student Councils. West Plains won the district presidency last year, earning the opportunity to host hundreds of student leaders from across the region.
Peterson said the conference will give West Plains students a chance not only to welcome their peers, but also to learn from them.
"We are looking forward to hosting hundreds of students from all over southwest Missouri in October, to show them West Plains and to get to grow our council, gain ideas and better our school," she said.
The council enters the school year with a balance of experienced and emerging leadership. Most returning officers have been involved since their freshman year — an impressive record considering the council operates year-round without an offseason.
"It's hard to stay dedicated to student council because it is a year-long commitment, and it's constantly something that they are working on," Peterson said. "We just really don't have any downtime."
Three new officers are stepping up to bring fresh perspectives. Addison Smith, who transferred to West Plains as a junior, will serve as a senior officer. Senior class president Skylar Bell, a four-year student council member, is taking on an officer role for the first time, while sophomore Molly Orr is entering her first year as an officer.
"We do have a couple of newer officers leading this year, which is really great because it brings new perspectives," Peterson said. "To see the combination of these leaders, it's a great mix."
Rather than reinventing the wheel, Peterson said the council is focused on building upon its established foundation to strengthen school culture and create lasting memories for students and staff alike.
That emphasis on belonging extends well beyond elected officers. Peterson said the council actively works to help every student find a place at school — whether by connecting them with a teacher, a classmate or an extracurricular activity that matches their passions.
"We're big on the fact that there is something for everybody at this school," she said. "However we can serve the students is what we want to do."
Guiding a room full of natural leaders brings its own learning opportunities. Peterson said one of the important lessons the students has learned is to recognize their strengths as well as their limitations. She emphasizes delegation and teamwork, helping students realize that leadership doesn't require carrying every responsibility alone. She cited one common challenge among groups of leaders: too many voices trying to lead. Her solution? Collaboration.
“One thing I've had to learn personally is just passing things off and being willing to delegate,” Peterson explained. “Because I've had to learn that for myself, I've been able to teach that to them, and it has really helped our council grow."
Watching students learn to celebrate one another's accomplishments is one of the most rewarding aspects of her role.
"I've gotten to see students really learn how cool it is to see somebody else get to experience leading something, and the joy that can come from somebody else's success," she said.
That growth relies on building strong relationships so students feel comfortable seeking advice when obstacles arise.
"Building relationships is huge because I want my students to feel like they can come to me when they hit a roadblock," Peterson said. "Ultimately, I want them to learn these skills to take on to whatever their next step is in life after high school."
Community service remains central to the council's identity. Students volunteer weekly with Special Olympics programs, organize Homecoming traditions, and lead the spring "Day Without Hate" initiative to promote unity, respect and mental health awareness.
Looking ahead to the October district conference, Peterson hopes to share those successful programs with visiting schools.
“We're really looking forward to kind of spreading the seeds amongst other schools in our area because we have gotten to see the impact it's had on our school and we want to be able to share that with others,” she said. "It's not something we want to gatekeep; we want other schools to be able to enjoy their school culture and grow it. We feel like we're in a position now where we can help nurture other schools beyond just our leaders here."
For Peterson, the character lessons students carry away — teamwork, communication and service — far outweigh the logistics of planning any single event.
"Student council is so much more than events," Peterson said. "They learn communication skills, and they learn how to truly work as a team with people they may not have chosen to work with on their own.” She noted that learning isn’t always apparent to students when they’re in the midst of it, but when they look back over the work they’ve done, the picture becomes clearer.
“It's just so neat to see their eyes open to all the different things they really did learn, and get to give themselves some credit for working through some really tough things,” Peterson said.
Because Student Council is so demanding all year, when student leaders return, Peterson said, she knows they’ve found something meaningful.
“I really appreciate their continuing to stay hungry for that and to not be discouraged,” she said. “They're still wanting to do it, they're still wanting to be a part of it, they're still willing to do hard things, because they're getting something out of it. I know it's hard, I know that it's more than just fun with friends, I know they're taking away a lot more than that. So when they get to come back, I feel that's a big win for me.”
