
The
Woodbridge
High
School
Student
Activities
Leadership
Council
virtually
hosted
this
year's
National
Student
Council
Conference.
The
conference
included
a
question-and-answer
session
with
former
Olympic
gymnast,
Gabby
Douglas.
Woodbridge
High
students,
Marwa
Katir
and
Harrison
Kelly,
were
able
to
ask
Douglas
a
series
of
questions
about
leadership.
"How
do
you
deal
with
all
of
the
pressures
and
expectations
that
are
put
on
you?"
asked
Katir.
"I
try
to
heal
my
mind
and
my
body,"
revealed
Douglas.
"I
have
releases
like
skateboarding,
but
also
reflection
time.
I
love
to
reflect.
I
have
lots
of
teas
and
I
just
have
teatime
with
myself
to
sit
and
reflect."
The
National
Student
Council
encourages
student
leadership,
student
service,
student
voices,
and
student
engagement.
Their
goal
is
to
promote
and
support
student
councils
in
every
high
school
and
middle
school
in
the
country.
The
annual
National
Student
Council
Conference
is
a
several-day
event
that
includes
presentations,
workshops,
think
tanks,
and
keynote
speakers
for
student
council
members.
The
2021
event
was
offered
virtually
and
took
place
on
June
22
to
June
25.
All
student
council
members
from
any
school
district
were
invited
to
participate.
"Over
650
student
leaders
and
advisers
from
around
the
country
attended
this
year's
event,"
explained
Ann
Postlewaite,
director
of
student
leadership
and
communications
of
the
National
Association
of
Secondary
School
Principals.
"We
also
had
a
school
from
Guam,
the
Virgin
Islands,
and
the
Netherlands
in
attendance."
This
year's
event
was
hosted
by
the
Woodbridge
High
School
Student
Activities
Leadership
Council.
Woodbridge
competed
nationally
for
the
honor
of
this
distinction.
"Schools
apply
to
host
the
conference
at
their
school,"
said
Postlewaite.
"Woodbridge
was
a
great
venue.
They
have
a
strong
leadership
program
and
a
dedicated
group
of
adult
and
student
leaders
who
were
eager
to
host
even
when
the
conference
went
virtual."
Woodbridge
council
members
presented
to
other
students
across
the
nation
and
internationally
by
serving
as
the
daily
emcees
and
moderators.
In
addition,
several
of
the
workshops
were
hosted
by
Woodbridge
students,
such
as
Jocelyn
Rodriguez,
Thomas
Tafe,
Galila
Soliman,
and
Adriana
Vasquez.
Their
workshop,
"Being
Inclusive
through
Digital
Citizenship,"
demonstrated
to
other
students
how
to
practice
being
an
ambassador
through
social
media.
The
staff
of
Prince
William
County
Public
Schools
(PWCS)
was
also
featured
at
the
event.
Heather
Abney,
principal
of
Woodbridge,
provided
some
of
the
closing
remarks
for
the
first
day
of
the
conference.
Hamish
Brewer,
principal
of
Fred
M.
Lynn
Middle
School,
served
as
one
of
the
keynote
speakers
during
the
second
day.
The
National
Student
Council
Conference
served
as
a
reminder
that
the
students
and
staff
of
PWCS
are
inspirations
and
examples
to
the
rest
of
the
world.