Heaster elected as WASC president

Sundance High School Student Council President Rhianna Heaster was elected the 2019-2020 Wyoming Association of Student Councils President during the WASC state convention Nov. 17-19 in Sheridan.

“I was really nervous,” said Heaster. “But I was also excited and ready to take on the responsibility.”

Heaster spent her time at the convention giving candidate speeches and answering questions from a panel of voting delegates. Along with Heaster’s presidential bid, senior Josiah Rudloff completed his term as the WASC Vice President.

Briska Johnson ran for the Northeast Region Representative. “It was terrifying, but after I was done, I was happy that I gave it a chance,” she said.

While Johnson did not get elected, she adds she plans to continue pursuing a state position in the future. “I liked listening to all the candidate’s speeches. You can see from each school they all have different views on what would make Wyoming schools best,” she added.

Eleven SHS Student Council members attended WASC, which draws attendees from all Wyoming High Schools. Rudloff along with Sherry Negaard and Teddi Marchant led workshops on swing dancing, while Rhianna and Bailee Heaster led workshops on inclusion.

Other student council members who attended completed community service projects at Sheridan and Big Horn elementary schools and on the Sheridan Community College campus.

Heaster will remain the SHS Student Council President and promote her initiatives on kindness and inclusion; however, she will expand those ideas to the state level in the hopes all Wyoming schools will follow the lead.

“I have had experience with people not being kind and not being included,” Heaster said. “I wanted to change that in my school and all throughout Wyoming.”