ASB President and Vice President:
Berkeley High School’s newly elected ASB President, Sophia Nishioka, and Vice President, Tamar McKey, are stepping into the 2025-26 school year with a vision: make student leadership more inclusive, efficient, and impactful.
Both students bring a background in school leadership: Nishioka as former sophomore class president and co-chief of clubs, and McKey through being commissioner of equity and student rights and junior class vice president.
“I’ve really seen the ways in which leadership does things well and the ways in which we could improve,” Nishioka said.
Among their top priorities is providing communication and collaboration within leadership. Both have noticed that class and executive teams often double up on efforts unknowingly.
“We don’t use all of our leadership time well,” Nishioka said, “We usually end within 30 minutes, and that time could be better utilized.”
To improve community-building and engagement, the pair is planning initiatives such as a leadership camp to strengthen team unity early in the year and opening up leadership meetings to students outside the class.
“We want to lead by example and instill the traits we want to see in our student body,” Nishioka said.
When it comes to addressing student concerns, both leaders are focusing on accessibility.
“Email, Instagram, in person, whatever works,” McKey said, “Most students go to school every day, so just talk to us if you see us.” Nishioka also mentioned the importance of hearing directly from underclassmen and club leaders to better reflect student interests across grades.
Nishioka and McKey plan to attend more administrative meetings and establish better communication channels, both with adult decision-makers and across class teams, to make sure ideas can be executed effectively.
“It’s tough to defend decisions when you’re not in the room,” Nishioka said.
School Board Student Representative:
BHS’ new student school board representative, Armana Aradom, is committed to her goal for the new school year to increase student voices, especially those from underrepresented groups, and strengthen school-wide connection.
“One of the first things I want to do is reach out to leaders of different clubs and affinity-based organizations … and ask about the issues they see at (BHS) and what they want changed,” Aradom said.
She also plans to visit small school leadership meetings and use tools like social media and Google forms to stay connected with students.
To make herself accessible, Aradom hopes to host open office hours and use her social media to share updates and collect feedback. “I want to connect with students in an approachable way,” she said.
Aradom is also focused on school spirit and student wellbeing. “I’d love to help organize mental health days and collaborate with ASB leadership to host more on-campus events,” she said. Her top priority is closing the achievement gap. “I want to use every resource available … to make sure that students of color not only graduate, but thrive,” she said.
Senior Class President and Vice President:
BHS’ newly elected Senior Class President, Corina Blanton, and Senior Class Vice President, Leah Green, are stepping into their roles to strengthen class unity and promote inclusive leadership. Both students have a shared desire to increase diversity in leadership and be role models for younger students of color. “We both wanted to go into leadership to represent people that look like us,” Green said, “We didn’t see that as underclassmen.”
Their top priorities for the year include building stronger bonds among seniors, hosting stress-free events, and improving communication with the student body. “We want to bring a sense of togetherness,” Blanton said, especially as college application season brings pressure.
One of their biggest initiatives is elevating senior events, including prom. “We’re trying to move prom to a more collaborative space,” Blanton said, highlighting their push for student feedback. They also plan to collect ideas via Google forms and Instagram, aiming to connect with more students.
On the topic of Rally Day, both acknowledged the need for change. “We understand the history,” said Blanton, “but the outcome is really harmful to our community.”
Their goal is to encourage more respectful traditions that are still fun, but less risky. “We want to find alternatives for Rally Day traditions that are still fun and spirited,” said Green.
As leaders, Blanton and Green are focused on working closely with ASB and clubs. “We’re trying to have strong communication with the student body and student-run programs,” Green said. They hope students will reach out and share their ideas to help make senior year memorable for everyone.