Haley Marshall
By Sean Sweeney Journal Correspondent

Haley Marshall has a little bit of a public speaker in her that just wants to get out and show what it can do. The Oakmont junior has had plenty of practice this year, as she put together a PowerPoint presentation for her principal and three teachers.

The presentation was part of an independent study in leadership, and she had a good reason for being there: she's been a member of the Oakmont Student Council for the past three years.

"My final presentation was to put together a binder full of the meetings and events that I've planned," she said, "and that went over really well. We may use that as an example of an independent study final to get other students interested in doing independent studies.

"I was interested in enriching my values that I got from (being on the Council)," she said. "I'm extremely dedicated to the Student Council and I've run for historian twice in a row. We added all my hours and I've spent over 370 hours doing things pertaining to the Student Council."

But the presentation wasn't the only one she has given - or will give, for that matter. Haley has just begun. Next month, she'll give a presentation during a workshop at the Massachusetts State Student Council Conference in Hyannis.

Instead of speaking in front of four adults, this time it will be in front of her contemporaries - anywhere from 40 to 50 high school student council members from across the commonwealth.

"[The presentation] is about how to unite leaders of the school," she said.

Next month's presentation is the same one she gave at a regional conference at Blackstone Valley Tech last October.

But that's not all: Haley and Student Council Vice President Jillian Davis have been accepted to attend the National Student Council Conference this summer.

"There's only a maximum amount from each state who are accepted," she said. "We went through this large application process, and we had to raise $1,100 to go. We've been sending letters to the Lion's Club, and the Forever Young Club of Ashburnham gave us each a very large donation."

The pair won't be speaking at the national conference in the Heartland, however, they'll just be listening.

"They had a very strict number," Haley said.

She has already begun looking into several colleges, with the lengthy application-interview-acceptance/rejection process coming next year. She has looked into the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and some colleges in Chicago, where she has family.

She is looking at a business administration major, but she wouldn't mind being a Spanish language translator, either.

Again, it all comes back to her public speaking.