Lauren Lee ‘26 Elected Student Council President
Grace Yang / The Exonian
By MELIA THIBAULT ‘27
This past Friday, Feb. 7, upper Lauren Lee was elected student council president for the 2025-2026 term. This comes after a long election process, which included a primary election, a presidential runoff debate, and finally a runoff election. Lee currently resides in Wheelwright on campus, grew up in Hong Kong, but now lives in New Jersey. Lee is also involved in many extracurriculars on campus, including Daniel Webster Debate Society, Mock Trial, Democratic Club, Concert Choir, and PEADs. Reflecting on how these activities have benefitted her, Lee stated, “Not only have these extracurriculars enabled me to connect with students of all grade levels, they have instilled in me a deep appreciation for oration and communication. I hope these skills will serve me well in office.”
When deciding to run for office, Lee cited her past experience serving as co-secretary on the Executive Board of student council this past term as a source of motivation for her. “I served as co-secretary last year, and I was closely involved in the Exec Board’s discussions with the administration, faculty, and trustees. I have a deep love for the students of this school, and felt as though my communication skills would allow me to act as a fierce advocate for the students body,” she said.
However, the campaigning process would prove to be a demanding and stressful process. When asked about it, Lee stated, “It was hard, as always. Very stressful. I felt as though at times I was unfairly judged due to the presence of implicit biases and common societal opinion on how a leader should look and how a woman should act.” Adding on to the idea of being unfairly judged, Lee said, “I often heard from well-meaning friends and peers that I was being too ‘bold,’ and that some of their classmates were criticizing me on the basis of my ‘aggression.’ It was all in good faith, but I knew that I wanted to be myself, win or lose.”
Despite how formidable these challenges may have seemed, Lee rose to the occasion to overcome all the obstacles in her path. However, she did not do that alone. “My dorm community was instrumental in getting me through the campaign stress,” Lee reflected. “Even though I wrestled with my frustrations with the election process as a whole and the unfair criticism I was victim of, my Wheelies stayed steadfast in their support. They reminded me that I was worthy of being a presidential candidate, no matter what.”
Lee recounted the moment that she received the news that she would be the next president. “I received an email from the StuCo advisors, Dean Marshall and Ms. Rankin, five minutes before the all-school email was sent out. I was elated, no doubt about it, but it didn’t feel real. It wasn’t until the all-school email was sent out, and screams and shrieks rang through the halls of Wheelwright, that I fully realized the weight of the moment.”
She added how her friends in her dorm supported her throughout this undertaking. “Lovely preps, lowers, uppers, and seniors barricaded me and enveloped me in a group hug. I broke down into tears — the stress of the past week had been difficult and the vitriolic statements and rumors had beat me down, but the love of my friends reminded me of my purpose.”
Now that she has been elected into office, there are many things Lee hopes to accomplish in the term ahead. For the larger goals she had in mind, Lee mentioned advocating for a new day student driving policy for seniors. This would allow for students, with parental permission, to be driven around by licensed day students within the Exeter area. Additionally, Lee has two smaller initiatives she hopes to pass in the upcoming year. The first initiative is the creation of a Dining Hall Student Input Committee, a committee dedicated to giving feedback to dining hall managers from the student perspective, allowing for improvements to be made that will positively impact students. The second initiative Lee hopes to spearhead is the push for a day off from school for Lunar New Year. Lee cited the importance of the holiday to many cultures across Asia, as well as the benefits to student’s mental health that a day off would provide.
Lee believes that she will be able to accomplish these tasks for many reasons, the biggest one being her ability to listen. “In the midst of the political turmoil of the external world and the everyday stress in the internal Exeter bubble, I believe making students feel seen and heard is paramount to maintaining student mental health and community. To be a good singer, debater, and speaker means necessarily being a good listener. My three-pronged policy plan as well as my interactions with fellow students throughout my three years in Student Council reflects the esteem in which I hold this conviction.”
After such a hard-fought victory, many people would relax and enjoy their win, taking a break from the chaos and work. But for Lee, this is just the beginning. With three years of student council experience and numerous other extracurricular achievements already behind her, Lee has demonstrated countless times her strong work ethic and communication. With these skills, as well as a strong community behind her, it is certain she will be able to accomplish great things in her upcoming term.
