Back in the spring of 2023, Upper School students ran and voted for the officers of the SGA. You might ask, “What is SGA?” SGA is the Student Government Association, an organization created so that students can have a voice at school. When students have ideas or concerns, they can pass them along to the SGA and use those student representatives as a gateway to the faculty and administration. At Rocky Mount Academy, the SGA also plans some of the most significant events on campus, such as Spirit Week, Homecoming, and pep rallies. You might not know your new officers for 2023-2024 that well, so let’s get to know them!
The first officer is Lowell Brantley, the President of the SGA. The duties of the president are to attend and hold SGA meetings, start committees and fundraisers, and arrange and watch student events. This year’s president, Lowell, is a junior and has been part of the RMA family since he was in kindergarten. He has two older siblings who graduated from RMA: Holly, from the class of 2018, and Kent, who graduated last spring. Lowell plays soccer and golf and is also in the Conservation Club. His favorite subject is Criminal Justice with Mr. Stancavish because it is very interesting; right now they are studying criminals and their crimes in depth. Lowell says his top priority for the year is to have more fun events with student and teacher participation in order to boost school spirit. He hopes to be a good President by listening to the students who share their concerns and their requests. If you need to reach out to Lowell with questions or suggestions–remember that he can pass them along to Mr. Tucker or Mrs. Murphy!–you can reach him at [email protected] or catch him at Flex in Mrs. Helms’ room.
The second officer is Gabriel Petteway, the Vice President. The duties of the Vice President are to take over for the President if he or she is absent, to assume responsibility for the publicity of the SGA, and to arrange service projects and public speakers. Gabe is a junior and has been a part of RMA since second grade. He has two older siblings, one of which–Nick–attended RMA as a member of the class of 2000. Gabriel’s favorite subject is English because, he says, it makes the most sense to him. Outside of class time, he is in the Conservation Club and is a former member of the track team. When asked about his priorities, he said his mission for this year is to build school spirit by being an excellent Vice President! He is going to do that by hosting more inclusive activities with the school and its students. He will also listen and be open-minded about all questions, comments, and suggestions. If you need to contact Gabe, find him in Ms. Knox’s homeroom/Flex or email [email protected].
The third and final officer is Ava Swanner–that’s me!–the Secretary/Treasurer. The duties of this officer are to keep up with attendance at meetings, to keep track of what was said and ideas that came up during meetings, to maintain correspondence with administrators, to update the financial records of the SGA, and to work with the business office as needed. I am a junior and have been a part of the RMA family since the beginning of 2022, joining RMA after Christmas break. I have one younger brother at RMA: Carter, who is in 9th grade. I play both basketball and soccer and do the spring musicals with Mrs. Whitehurst along with participating in numerous clubs, including the Conservation Club, the Photography Club, and the Student Booster Club. That last club pairs nicely with my role in SGA because my most important mission is to build up school spirit and bring the students closer together. I plan to do this by suggesting more pep rallies, buddy lunches, and student events to give us even more fun days on the calendar. Feel free to email me at [email protected] or find me in Ms. Knox’s room during homeroom/Flex.
Know that your new SGA members will work hard to make this school year and the coming years ones that will let students make unforgettable memories with their friends! Check out my next article to find out what awesome things we have planned for Homecoming 2023.