Lined up outside Room 2397, eight of the candidates for Student Council waited in anticipation to find out who would represent the Oak Park and River Forest High School student body for the 2026-2027 school year. 

During the beginning of 6th period April 29, Student Council advisor Katie Depasquale called the candidates into her classroom one-by-one to announce next year’s officers.

The results are in (see page 3), and the winners are planning how they will approach their new responsibilities.

Newly elected President Marley Paxton, a junior, has been a committed member of Student Council since her sophomore year. She described the overwhelming excitement she felt after the announcement.

“I can’t even begin to describe how happy I was,” Paxton said. “I was so happy that I was given the opportunity to become the next president.”

In addition to representing the student body as a whole, Paxton also strives to be an empowering model for Black girls. “I want other Black girls to know that leadership is important, and they can do it too,” Paxton said. 

As president, Paxton wants to ensure impartial connection with students. “I don’t want to be seen as someone who feels like they’re on a pedestal just because they’re president,” Paxton said. “I want to be someone who is connecting with students and uplifting them.”

Student input and equal representation are vital in a community as large and diverse as OPRF. As board representative, junior Mari Yu has made a commitment to make sure everyone’s opinions are heard.

“I would be the student voice for the board meetings, so they will understand how students are feeling about school,” Yu said.

With her plan of pushing out a biannual survey to gain student feedback, then bringing that feedback to the monthly board meetings, Yu hopes to “make OPRF a better place for students.”

For Yu, communication with staff and students will be a big contributor to her success as board representative. Yu plans to take the interpersonal skills she will gain throughout next school year and apply them to life beyond high school. 

“I want to become a nurse, so I’m going to have to be talking to a lot of different people and figuring out their lives,” Yu said.

Newly elected public relations officer Imani Sullivan, a junior, will focus on putting out the word about Student Council out to the school community, hoping to attract more regular members.

“I want Student Council to be one of those popular clubs,” Sullivan said, “like how business club is so popular every year, I want the same for Student Council.”

The Student Council is elected through a combination of votes and recommendations,  according to Depasquale, a math teacher who has been the advisor for 17 years. Science teacher Lindsey Cermak is also an advisor.

Each candidate receives a score based on the student vote, teacher ratings on skills such as leadership and accountability, a candidate questionnaire, and recommendations from the current Student Council officers and advisors. The student vote only accounts for a fourth of the total score. 

When deciding on officer positions, Student Council advisors take members’ dedication throughout the year with events such as eighth grade night, the activities fair and of course the weekly meetings. 

“I was always there and participating in anything Student Council,” Sullivan said. “Involvement is really important. They really paid attention to that.”

2026-2027 Student Council officer positions:

Marley Paxton: President

Sophia Hinojosa: Vice President

Imani Sullivan: Public Relations

Lucy Williams: Secretary 

Mari Yu: Board Representative

Joe Coligan: Service Project Coordinator 

Oliver Doobay: General Officer

Lily Joy: General Officer