Ari Benenson ‘27 and Jade Yoo ‘27 Elected Student Council Co-Secretaries

Grace Yang / The Exonian

By KEVIN THANT ‘27

On Tuesday, Feb. 5, the student body heard the co-secretary candidates speak for the first time. 14 candidates ran in this year’s Co-Secretary race, the most for any of the three positions. Out of those 14, for the 2025-26 Student Council Executive Board, Exeter chose lowers Ari Benenson and Jade Yoo to serve as their Co-Secretaries.

Student Council has been a core part of both Exonians’ Exeter journey. Benenson decided to follow in his brother’s footsteps to pursue a career in StuCo, and Yoo has served as both a class and a dorm representative.

“I was inspired by the current exec board. I’m especially good friends with Cam and Kyle,” Benenson said. “The work that they’ve done in the past year inspired me to become a part of StuCo and I wanted to do that by becoming a co-secretary.”

Yoo shared, “I love working with the student body. I’ve been holding different positions since fourth grade, but no matter what the role was, it brought me a lot of joy.” 

Yoo’s journey in Student Council began long before her time at Exeter. From this experience, she has gained many integral skills. “I have seven years of experience in StuCo, and through these experiences, I’ve learned how to coordinate teams, manage events in a timely manner, advocate for inclusivity, and handle logistics and communication.” 

The same can be said for Benenson who, similarly to Yoo, stressed the importance of managerial skills and communication which he learned during his role as eighth-grade class president. “I learned what it takes to get up there and talk to administration and handle rejection with certain initiatives and negotiation as well,” he shared.

As both have highlighted, strong communication is an attribute that is necessary for the role of Co-Secretary. “Being Co-Secretary carries the significant responsibility of being a bridge between the student body and administration by making sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes and making sure everything is operating in a way that’s transparent, accessible, inclusive, and effective,” explained Yoo.

The role of Co-Secretary is limited in power compared to that of President, as Yoo shared, but that isn’t stopping either electee from fulfilling the promises they made during their campaign. 

“I have initiatives of my own and I wanna press those upon the President and Vice President of the Student Council. And I want things that I told people I would get done to get done. That’s my role,” Benenson said.

Yoo agreed, “I will also actively seek out student input and make sure that the input is heard and implemented effectively by working closely with Exec, evaluating our progress and making improvements when necessary.”

However, even as they push their own initiatives, both understand the importance of continuity and communication. “It’s just respect and teamwork that’ll make us get the most done, be the most efficient Exec Board the school’s ever seen,” Benenson stated.

Yoo agreed but also emphasized external communication, recognizing her role as the bridge between the student body and the Executive Board. “I plan to use my experience to create clear and effective communication channels like a StuCo Newsletter, online feedback systems, and Council Chats to make sure everyone is informed and engaged.”

Outside of the council, extracurricular activities have provided both Co-Secretaries insights and skills necessary to achieve their visions. Benenson is a lifelong soccer player, and on the field, he has learned the traits of grit and perseverance, skills that are necessary for any member of Student Council. “Anyone on the soccer team will tell you that’s my number one trait, and it’ll carry over from the soccer field to Student Council.”

Yoo is a member of the Advanced Debate B Team and a prominent member of the Model United Nations, both clubs that provide her with the eloquence and rhetoric essential to being a strong communicator. “I sharpen communication skills every day in Debate and Model UN, which could help me advocate for the student body.”

In a final word, both Co-Secretaries look forward to their future in this role. I’m truly honored by the trust that was placed in me. I’m excited to take on this responsibility,” Yoo shared.

Benenson expressed a similar sentiment: “It’ll be exciting, and we’ll be able to do a lot of good for the people.”