In the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, current sophomore Shawn Ribeiro of West Long Branch was elected freshman council president. Come June, he made the bold decision to run for the Student Government Association (SGA).
“Usually freshmen aren’t elected to SGA,” U.S. History I teacher Bill Clark said.
In fact, Ribeiro was the first freshman to secure a spot on SGA in 10 years, following Lauryn Masciana of the Class of 2016.
Typically, rising juniors and seniors occupy the council due to their greater familiarity with the people and traditions of Communications High School. However, Ribeiro managed to make himself known throughout CHS within his first year of attendance.
As freshman council president, Ribeiro collaborated with his fellow council members to organize many fundraisers and build class morale.
“He was a really great leader. He got everyone to follow along with a lot of our activities, especially the lip sync,” Class of 2026 advisor Jennifer Baldaccini said.
Classmates added that his impact as a leader can be attributed to his collaborative nature. Throughout the year, Ribeiro tried to make himself approachable to his peers and provide them the ability to voice their concerns and ideas. He also worked to encourage class spirit during events like last year’s Dodgeball Tournament. Ribeiro managed to maintain these traits even when he began to aim for a larger responsibility.
“I loved freshman council so much [and] being able to give the people a voice,” Ribeiro said. “I wanted to continue that on to SGA and kind of represent the whole school and what CHS stands for.”
As an SGA member, Ribeiro is said to bring a lot to the table. Despite being the youngest on council, he makes his voice heard, according to fellow SGA member and junior Phin Whedon of Wall.
“He always comes ready with lots of ideas,” Whedon said.
Going forward, Ribeiro hopes to continue the core CHS traditions that make the school what it is, while upholding his promise to represent the student body.
“Although it’s not an opportunity I was anticipating, it is certainly something I’m grateful for and not an opportunity I will pass up,” Ribeiro said.
