By Ellie Smith
Features Editor
When she was young, Olivia Antonelli loved coming to visit Westford Academy with her father, Principal James Antonelli. Coming to WA as a freshman, Antonelli had always wanted to get involved in the school community and be a voice for her class.
“My dad took me here when I was really young, so I have always loved WA,” said Antonelli. “I wanted to find a way to get involved and try to be a voice for our class.”
Now a junior at WA, Antonelli has taken on the role of class president for the class of 2016.
Antonelli has been involved in student council since freshman year. She participated in student government in elementary school, and decided to participate again in high school after taking a break in middle school.
Though president now, Antonelli was a student council representative during her freshman year and vice president her sophomore year. She also has made it a goal to be president for next year’s senior class.
Antonelli has always had a goal of getting involved at WA. Her favorite part of being in student council is interacting with other class officers and students to get input on how to make the school year more enjoyable.
“I really like working with our class advisors and the other officers as well as being a voice for our class,” said Antonelli. “I love hearing everyone’s feedback and ideas to make the school year more enjoyable. I know it can be hard with all of the work students have, so we like to plan events to make the school year more exciting.”
Student council meetings are held at least once per week where students discuss and plan events for the school year. Currently, student council is focused on planning for the talent show this month. One thing Antonelli has worked on is designing class t-shirts in order to come to a decision on a design that everyone likes.
As a student council member, Antonelli feels that one of her main purposes is to set an example for other students and be someone that everyone feels comfortable going to for help.
“[I like] being someone people can look to if they need help. If someone in the class needed someone to talk to, whether it be a personal or school related problem, we are there for them too,” said Antonelli.
Math teacher Brian Scanlan taught Antonelli in Geometry and noticed her work ethic and compassion for helping others succeed in the class.
“Olivia always remained optimistic. She viewed setbacks as opportunities to overcome obstacles. Her positive outlook set an excellent example for her peers,” said Scanlan. “Olivia’s kindness towards her peers spoke volumes. Her commitment to treat each of her peers with respect transcended the imaginary boundaries sometimes set by reputation or popularity.”
Junior Ellie Diamond has been friends with Antonelli since second grade and admires her trustworthiness and ability to brighten anyone’s day.
“She has so many outstanding qualities, but one of my favorite things about her is how reliable and trustworthy she is. You can always count on her. Her ability to brighten anyone’s day is something that makes her stand out. She can strike up a conversation with anyone and she is constantly enhancing the days of others,” said Diamond.
As a member of student council for the past three years, Antonelli has learned multiple valuable skills that will be useful later in life including communication, public speaking and leadership.
“[I’ve improved my] communication skills and working with others and public speaking. My first speech during my freshman year, I was terrified, but it has gotten easier every year. Also, I’ve learned about being a leader and making sure I am someone people can come to,” said Antonelli.
With student council, Antonelli is involved in planning events such as cotillion, picking a prom venue, and WA’s Got Talent. She is also looking into setting up fundraiser events for the class to get involved in.
In addition to student council, Antonelli is involved in project purple, National Honors Society, and field hockey. She also participated in cross country and softball during her freshman and sophomore years.
Junior Jenny Bugos, friend of Antonelli, feels that Antonelli displays hard work and dedication in all aspects of her life.
“Olivia stands out from others, because she puts one hundred percent of her effort into everything she does,” said Bugos. “Whether it be through school, sports, or friendships, she sets the bar high for herself, and with her dedication, always results in success.”
After high school, Antonelli plans on getting involved in fundraising and working with hospitals to raise money, specifically for breast cancer awareness and research.
“A few of my mom’s good friends were diagnosed with breast cancer. I saw how it affected my mom and how it makes you feel kind of helpless. So, I started selling bracelets as a way to get involved and I just fell in love with fundraising,” said Antonelli.
Another friend of Antonelli, junior Dani Roder, acknowledges her compassion and ability to put others before herself.
“She’s sympathetic and ultimately wants what’s best for others, not for herself,” said Roder. “She’s always looking out for others and makes it her first priority to help those in need.”
