Spartan Scuttlebutt:
Leadership Behind the Scenes
By Gregg Smith OAKMONT ASSISTANT PRINCIEPAL

Oakmont Senior Jill Davis is this year's president of the Student Council. COURTESY PHOTO

Many people are responsible for making great things happen at Oakmont. Some receive ample time in the spotlight and others achieve honors and awards. But the subject of this week's Scuttlebutt is a student leader who works tirelessly behind the scenes to orchestrate some of the most important events of the school year.

Senior Jill Davis is the president of the Oakmont Student Council, a student organization whose members are elected by their peers. She has been a member of Student Council for three years, serving for her first two years as secretary and last year as vice president. Already this year, the Student Council has been the driving force behind Freshman Orientation and the Welcome Back Dance, and Jill has been one of the driving forces behind the Student Council.

Jill not only serves on the Oakmont Student Council, but she is also an elected delegate to the all-state Massachusetts Student Council. This summer she and Oakmont senior Haley Marshall were among 28 students from our state who were chosen to attend the National Student Council conference in Kansas.

"It was an amazing experience to meet so many different people and learn about student government in other states," Jill said. "I picked up a lot of great ideas from across the nation."

This week the Oakmont Student Council will facilitate a full-day Student Leadership Day, which will involve student leaders from all classes in a program of activities and workshops designed to improve their leadership skills. Jill, who has a dynamic plan for Leadership Day, hopes to use many of the skills she gained in Kansas with her Oakmont peers.

Although her Student Council duties occupy considerable time, Jill, who is the daughter of Glenn and Nancy Davis of Ashburnham, is also a member of the National Honor Society and manages to find time for her favorite activity - dance.

"I've been dancing since I was three and I've never stopped," Jill said. "I've been dancing for so long, I couldn't imagine not dancing. I love it."

Last year Jill took on the duties of editor of the Oakmonitor, the school newspaper. Her experiences in writing, editing, and layout told her that a career in journalism might be a good match for her talents and abilities. She hopes to attend Boston University, Syracuse University, or New York University next year and major in communications.

Jill Davis is one of those rare leaders who is talented, modest, and gets things done.

"The big thing is to make sure that Oakmont is a happy, welcoming place," she says. "I want people to feel good about coming to school, and I hope Student Council can do that."

But if you'd like to meet Jill at Oakmont, you better make an appointment - she's already busy planning Homecoming.