Getting in the Zone
Rancho High School getting checked in to join the Stuco Zone Conference.
February 7, 2021
On Saturday, January 30th, one of the most exciting events of the year took place for high school student councils in the southern region of Nevada. The Zone Conference is an event held yearly by the Nevada Association of Student Councils along with the Southern Region Representative and their school. It’s an opportunity for student leaders to join together in learning lessons, coming up with ideas, and creating connections. This year, Shadow Ridge was in charge of hosting the very first virtual Zone Conference. The conference, which is usually held in person, had to be done virtually this year, but it was still a very fun experience for staff and students alike.
Shadow Ridge’s student council, along with the state board and Kayla Smith, the student host, worked really hard to team up and set up an event that everybody could enjoy and learn from. After all the effort they put in, it really paid off and ended up turning out to be a super enjoyable opportunity for those who attended.
“Students worked with the Nevada Associations of Student Councils (NASC) state board to plan the conference. We met during our class period to work on planning the event, and then myself and Kayla Smith, who is the Southern Region Representative for the NASC, met with the state board to complete the planning process,” Student Council Advisor, Jamie Gibo, explained.
One of the most important parts of the conference was making the whole process feel as close to an in-person event as possible.
Smith shared, “The most difficult part about planning the conference was to create the feeling of being in person. Yes, it is great to learn different lessons and bring back ideas to your own council, but the connections you make are what will stick with you years to come. I wanted to provide that for students across Southern Nevada and I am so proud that I was able to achieve that.”
Shadow Ridge student council did a phenomenal job hosting the event. Many advisors from other schools commented, ‘We didn’t think it was possible to make a virtual conference have an in-person feel, but you guys did it. — Ms. Gibo
Despite the setbacks of COVID, these hard working leaders still managed to arrange a successful opportunity for people to learn how to serve, lead, and help others in their schools and communities.
Smith said, “It was AMAZING! Truly an experience that I will hold dear to my heart forever. I have attended these conferences in person throughout my journey in high school and to now say that I hosted the event is such an honor. I think that going into the day, many did not expect it to be as good as it was and that is what motivated me to prove them wrong. I am extremely happy with the end result and this conference has allowed me to grow not only as a leader, but as a young adult.”
Smith also shared that she enjoyed teaming up with Shadow Ridge and that working together as a team was the best and most effective way to create an awesome conference that everybody could be proud to be a part of.
