2021-2022 ESSO Board Announced
Following the consideration of almost 40 applicants, the 2021-2022 Exeter Student Service Organization’s (ESSO) Board of Directors has been announced. Uppers Emma Finn and Garrett Paik will serve as ESSO’s new co-Presidents, uppers Bradley St. Laurent and Eli Porras as the Children’s Coordinators, upper Mohamed Kane as the On-Campus Coordinator, upper Kate Mautz as the Off-Campus Coordinator, uppers Ifeoma Ajufo and Emma Chen as the Directors of Communication and upper Aryana Ramos-Vazquez as the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) Director.
This year’s ESSO board members were chosen from a large pool of candidates after a two-stage application process. Applicants were required to interview and submit a written application addressing their fit for the position, goals for ESSO and why service matters to them.
Former ESSO On-Campus Coordinator and senior Caroline Huang noted her appreciation for the dedication displayed by this year’s applicants. “It's amazing to see how enthusiastic PEA students are about leading ESSO next year! Even after such an unprecedented year, we've had almost 40 applications for the board, so I'm extremely grateful for the interest that ESSOnians are displaying,” Huang said.
This year, ESSO introduced the position of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Director.
“ESSO has been wanting to add the DEIJ position for a couple of years now, but this year we've finally been able to solidify the details and actions that this position entails,” Huang said.
Finn, who also served as last year’s ESSO Off-Campus Coordinator, described the conversations surrounding the position. “I'm super excited about it—it came out of lots of discussions the board was having about how to incorporate anti-racism more effectively into our existing service programs and see where we could branch out to do more,” Finn said. “Anti-oppressive work is so important to effective service, so I can't wait to see where we go from here.”
“As Exeter integrates more anti-racist work into the curriculum, it is very important that we connect those efforts across all aspects,” Ajufo said. “Having a new DEIJ director position allows us to connect more with [Office of Multicultural Affairs] OMA and make sure that we’re upholding or anti-racist statements. With this new position, it allows us to also introduce more perspectives within ESSO and integrate that within our own missions.”
Many students reacted positively to the new position. “I think it’s an amazing idea because service and diversity, equity, inclusion and justice are fundamentally linked,” Chen said. “I mean, service without DEIJ just results in products like voluntourism, which isn’t helpful to anyone. Overall, I’m also just super excited to see more work between ESSO and OMA.”
As the onset of spring term begins, the 2021-2022 ESSO Board has big plans for its tenure. In light of social distancing measures as well as new students to the Academy, board members currently prioritise integrating ESSO effectively into Exeter’s community.
St. Laurent said, “I think that the main goal is just making ESSO the best it can be. The previous board worked hard to adapt to the problems created by COVID and did a great job. The biggest thing right now is to focus on resuming as many clubs as possible and helping ESSO grow.”
In addition, Ajufo hoped for the new ESSO board to “provide in the same way that the previous boards have been.”
“As we move into a different phase of the pandemic I hope we’re able to bring back that normalcy. With that being said, I believe we all have the same goals and hopes for us for this upcoming year, and there’s a lot to look forward to,” Ajufo said.
Some members of the new board also hope to add new events to ESSO’s programming. “I'd also love to work on incorporating ESSO into the Exeter experience in ways outside of club meetings,” Finn said. “This is mostly going to take the form of events and service projects. For instance, the outgoing and ingoing boards are working to coordinate Wednesday service projects for the Wednesdays we have off, so stay tuned for those!”
Mautz appreciated her experiences attending ESSO events as a child and looks forward to continuing their service to the Exeter community. “ESSO Soccer taught me the fundamentals of the sport and was something I looked forward to each Sunday when I was younger. Being a part of the ESSO board is a way for me to give back to the community that has given me so much,” Mautz said.
Paik also reflected on the impacts that service organizations such as ESSO can make. “Community service has really never been about changing the world in some incredibly dramatic way,” he said. “No, community service is about showing you care about the people in your community. I think that community service organizations like ESSO help remind us of the small, yet incredibly significant, differences we can make in each other’s lives.”
