Typically, 1,000 teenagers gathered in one place would mean pop sensations One Direction or Bruno Mars were present. However, last weekend, no pop stars were present in the Española Valley, but still thousands of teenagers throughout the state were gathered at Española Valley High School.
It was the first time in Española’s history the high school hosted the New Mexico Association of Student Councils state conference. The theme the Española student council decided on was “All Aboard to the Valley of Leadership.”
“The most exciting part of the event is that we’re hosting it,” Superintendent Danny Trujillo said.
This conference is one giant step toward removing the negative stigma which engulfs the Valley, he said. State conference co-engineer and Española Valley High School junior Jessica Pacheco agreed with the superintendent. She said the school has long been viewed negatively by peers from outside the Valley, but mostly by students which had not seen the area firsthand.
“This is a chance for us to represent our school in the most positive way,” Pacheco said.
Fellow co-chair and Española Valley High School student Nicole Romero said once people see Española, they’ll see how beautiful the area is and what a rich culture the area boasts.
“When people come, they’ll see. ‘OK, they’re cool,’” Romero said.
In addition to showing their school and town off with brimming pride, both young ladies are excited to see friends from out of town and catch up on the latest in student leadership news.
Mary Hahn, state Student Council Association executive director, has been involved in New Mexico student councils in an administrative role since the mid-’80s, and she is excited Española is getting a chance to shine.
In previous years, Española was unable to host the conference due to a lack of hotels. However, with that impediment removed, the rush of 1,000 students will invigorate the city.
Throughout the years, Hahn has come to cherish one thing the conferences do beyond all else — give students confidence.
“It is really neat to see the confidence leadership gives kids. It’s great,” Hahn said.
One example of this is a student, who though a hard worker at his own school, is not always eager to be a spokesperson on a regional or state level, she said. This year, though, that young man is running for a state leadership position.
“It’s inspiring to watch the kids blossom,” Hahn said.
One young man who has blossomed is Española Valley High School senior John Ramon Vigil.
This is his last year to be involved with student council and he leaves as president of the state student council board.
“The best take-away for me at these conferences is to see the spirit each school community shows,” Vigil said.
While this is a great achievement for the school, he said he wished the school had worked in tandem with the community to highlight all the positive areas of the community.
“I wish more collaboration with the local community at-large had taken place,” Vigil said.
While this opportunity was not utilized, the business community will still receive a large economic boost, he said. Local restaurants and hotels will be packed.
Highlights of the conference include two nationally renowned speakers: Jill Esplin and Phil Boyte.
The weekend also held student and advisor-led workshops in which students learned Robert’s rules of order, ideas for pep rallies, fundraising opportunities and how to build a culture of leadership in their school.