Council role helps senior gain confidence, leadership skills

Peer pressure can sometimes be a good thing. Just ask Lakeland High School senior Joe Heiner.

At the urging of teachers and pressure from fellow students, Heiner decided to run for senior class president. Having never been on student council, he wasn’t sure if he was the right candidate. But he decided to listen to those supporting him and give it a try. He won the election and has no regrets.

“I thought it would be fun and would be a good way to change things if I ever saw that there was a need,” Heiner said. But the experience has taught him more than just leadership skills. “Part of being in student council and being involved is that it helps gain confidence. Confidence is huge.”

In addition to a demanding curriculum that includes college prep English, trigonometry, pre calculus, physics and government, Heiner is also required to take a leadership class each day.

“We talk a lot about what is happening in school and we also sponsor activities,” he said. The class, made up of all those involved in student government, is reading a book titled “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,” which Heiner finds motivating and interesting.

Part of his role as senior class president is to help organize fundraisers. The student council recently raised $1,900 during a Triple Play Night where half of the proceeds from the tickets sold by the students were donated back to the school.

“We also do movie nights in the commons,” said Heiner, who added that the student council has used some of the money they have raised to purchase a sound system for dances so they do not have to pay a disc jockey for each event.

But Heiner’s life is more than student government. He maintains a 3.98 grade-point average while also participating in sports and other school clubs.

During his junior year he played three different sports – soccer, basketball and lacrosse.

“This will be my fourth year in lacrosse,” said Heiner who says that he has great passion for the increasingly popular sport.

Heiner initially thought about attending West Point after graduation in the spring, but has since changed his mind.

“I decided 12 years of military service isn’t for me,” said Heiner, referring to the fact that upon college graduation he would be required to enlist for five years of active duty followed by three years of inactive duty. Instead, he has his sights set on Washington and Lee University in Virginia.

“They give 10 percent of all incoming freshmen full-ride scholarships for four years,” said Heiner, who is interested in career choices including medicine, physics and politics.

“I want to keep my options open,” he said.

Heiner is also a member of the Business Professionals of America Club which meets after school one day a week.

“We work with spreadsheets, databases and developing business plans,” said Heiner. As part of the club, Heiner also participates on the Parliamentary Procedure Team. The team travels to nearby schools to compete and also meets one day a week. He enjoys it and hopes the team will go far this year.

“State (competition) is in March and nationals are in June or July if we make it that far,” said Heiner.

With sports, student council, a demanding curriculum and a business club to occupy his time, it is surprising that Heiner has much time for anything else. But he has still managed to find time to raise money for a trip to Argentina over spring break. He will travel with a school group called Adsido, which is a club that concentrates on diversity and bringing awareness to world issues. The students will travel with a faculty member, Trent Derrick, to work at an orphanage. The trip was set up by a friend of Heiner’s who used to attend Lakeland and now lives with his family in Argentina performing mission work.

This is not the first time Heiner has traveled with Derrick on a mission trip. A couple of years ago, Heiner was part of the basketball team Derrick took to Mexico. The experience was one Heiner will never forget and he looks forward to the upcoming projects in Argentina. He adds that the lessons he has learned from being part of the diversity club have been invaluable.

“It’s about accepting other people, empathy and being able to look at things from a different perspective,” said Heiner “It’s really about understanding.”