The 2025-2026 Big Student Council aims to foster a USN community defined by cohesion, organization, and high standards.
Typically, a high school student council has served as the bridge between students and the decision-makers of their institution. It gives students a unique opportunity of leadership and self-responsibility; student council officers are the critical liaisons of a high school.
At USN, the overall student council — commonly referred to as “BigStuCo” — is no exception to this. Addi King ‘26, Mei Tyson ‘26, Binyam Dunne ‘26, and Charlie Hall ‘27, though only having been the officers for less than a month, have already laid out a plan for improving the USN community.
King is the president of BigStuCo at USN, and she is the embodiment of school spirit. Not only did she run for her current position to give back to the community, but more than anything, she wants to boost USN’s pride and energy.
In May, USN’s then-McMullan Scholars from the class of 2025 were tasked with planning and organizing a whole-school pep rally. Looking back on that day, King remarks on how she wished there had been more energy and excitement at the opportunity for students to connect with each other.
“I would love to change the amount of school spirit that we have, not only as a high school, but as a whole school…around sports and visual and performing arts,” she says.
King’s roles in the volleyball team and the theatre department, as well as a love for growing and fostering relationships within USN, have transformed her into the leader she is today.
Tyson is the vice-president of BigStuCo, and her role is centered around communication. Whether it’s sending the weekly emails to the student body, running Tiger Points, or placing Polaroid cameras around the school, Tyson does it all.
Having been a competitive dancer for many years, Tyson especially knows the importance of communication and connection in a big group setting.
With the newly updated grade-specific advisory system, Tyson believes it is more important than ever to foster a connection between grade levels. Her role in communication is essential and in turn effective in reaching this goal.
“Bringing people together…with care [and] without shortcutting anything…but instead [doing] it in a smart way” is what Tyson aims to do.
Dunne is USN’s BigStuCo secretary: a senior who is known for the passion and thoughtfulness he puts into everything he does. As the coordinator of the annual Leadership Retreat, Dunne is tasked with teaching fellow high schoolers the characteristics of a good leader.
The other primary role of the secretary is to support the high school’s class councils – the student council unique to each grade level. Dunne notes that there has historically been a substantial lack of support for these class councils from BigStuCo.
“I think it’d be really helpful if there could be some more cohesion…In past years, it’s like the classes don’t talk to each other about what worked best for them in the past. I think trying to streamline those processes for each grade would be good,” he says.
The last member of BigStuCo (and the only position currently held by a junior) is the treasurer, Hall. As the administrator of the student council’s budget, Hall has turned his attention to the past expenses of the high school.
“In the grand scheme of the high school, I think just making the lives of all the club and organization leaders [better] by updating the grant process…is very important.”
In the past, Hall says that the difficulty of asking for grants has been detrimental to USN’s clubs. His work towards changing this aims to be beneficial to USN’s club leaders in the community.
The 2025-2026 Big Student Council is a united force. The members’ aligned goals for the school year – a fostered connection between grade levels, communication between the Board of Directors and the high school, and a simplified process for the interactions with student council – will assist them in their long-term impact on the USN community.
