StuCo Co-Secretaries-Elect: Lauren Lee and Kyle Kennedy’s ‘26

Lauren Lee and Kyle Kennedy’s look ahead to their term on Student Council Photo Courtesy of Roxane Park

By JINMIN LEE

After attending the Student Council Candidate Appearance event and listening to eight Co-Secretary candidate speeches, the student body elected lowers Lauren Lee and Kyle Kennedy’s. In their campaigns, both emphasized their experience with campus life and previous leadership roles in Student Council: Lee is a co-head of Student Council’s Public Relations Committee, responsible for designing social media posts, and Kennedy’s is a Lower Rep with experience organizing events for the lower class. 

The campaign process was swift for both candidates. “It was fun and efficient, and I didn’t find any parts stressful,” remarked Kennedy’s. 

Lee agreed: “The elections are half decided even before they begin. There is very little a candidate can do in a few days, so their usual caring reputation matters much more.” Kennedy’s had a similar campaign strategy, valuing positive word-of-mouth over an elaborate campaign plan. 

Lee and Kennedy’s both served as Prep Reps last year. When asked about what initially brought her to Student Council, Lee reminisced, “Going around campus to get signatures for Prep Rep was a great opportunity to get to meet new people.” Kennedy’s too found fulfillment in supporting the Exeter community. “I learned how to relate to people well,” he reflected, “and it was a great opportunity to organize class events.” 

“However,” Lee stated, “I learned there was a big disconnect between the class representatives and the Executive Board, and the funding wasn’t streamlined.” After a disappointing experience, Lee chose not to run for Lower Rep to focus on leading the Public Relations Committee. “Although I didn’t initially see myself making Student Council social media posts, I knew I had a key eye for design and detail,” Lee recalled. As a co-head, Lee found great value and learned leadership lessons: “My position opened my eyes to how pivotal the committees are in accomplishing those small, yet important goals.” 

Lee wishes to continue her diligent care for detail as Co-Secretary; she believes her new role isn’t about making monumental policy changes, but rather assisting the President’s goals. “The President’s job is to pioneer the vision, and the Secretaries are there to push the vision forward,” Lee observed.

Kennedy’s affirmed this: “The main responsibilities of a Co-Secretary include taking minutes and communicating policies to the administration.” Kennedy’s expressed excitement to assist the President by listening to the student body’s requests. 

Despite their main role being providing aid to the President, one vision Lee wishes to enact is continuity. “I’ve worked with two different administrations with two very different goals. It is the secretary’s job to remind new Presidents about pursuing valuable previous goals so past efforts don’t get lost.” As a two-year council member, Lee understands which changes helped the most people. “We’ll survey the student body more efficiently,” Kennedy’s added, “and improve the mental health of our community.” 

Outside of the Council, extracurricular activities equipped both secretaries with important insights and skills. “As a leader, I learned the concerns that affected Exeter’s underrepresented communities through the Young Brother’s Society, African Students Association, and AfroShade, among many others,” Kennedy’s remarked. 

Lee also noted gaining her eloquence through clubs:   “Communication is key to making progress in Student Council, and I learned articulate speech from Mock Trial, Debate, and The Exonian.”

Yet, despite their commitments to other clubs, both Secretaries are confident that they can manage their responsiblity on Student Council and avoid burnout. “I’ll continue to utilize the time-management skills I’ve learned as a two-year class representative to conduct my job effectively and efficiently,” Kennedy’s promised. 

Lee agreed, saying, “When you do something that you truly enjoy, it doesn’t feel like work at all.”