One of the many ways students can connect with the Orange Lutheran community is through leadership, and each school year, there is an abundance of opportunities for Lancers to lead and serve their campus.
As the 2023 – 2024 academic year begins, the OLu Student Leadership Team, comprised of leaders from a wide array of programs, has been hard at work preparing to make an impact on the Lancer family and the community it serves.
Ambassadors
Often called the “Face of OLu”, Orange Lutheran Ambassadors have the opportunity to represent to the general public what it means to be a Lancer. These students engage with prospective families, as well as family members, friends and supporters of current students. Ambassadors also act as liaisons for all OLu-related events held on campus and in the community.
This year’s OLu Ambassador Team is led by seniors William Carter and Alexandria Lim.
William Carter - Senior
Ambassador Co-President
As an OLu Ambassador, William enjoys being part of the group on campus that shares the Lancer story with prospective students and their families. From serving as a host at OLu Open House events to welcoming guests at Nechita Center performances, he is looking forward to guiding the Ambassador Team this year as they help usher in the next generation of Lancers.
Alexandria Lim – Senior
Ambassador Co-President
Alexandria’s favorite part about serving as an OLu Ambassador is the relationships she has created with not only her peers, but the parents and students who choose Orange Lutheran as a result of her encouragement. She and the team are working this year to expand the training and preparation provided to younger Ambassadors in an effort to best equip them for future leadership roles.
ASB
Pep rallies, spirit days and Homecoming celebrations are just a few of the ways Orange Lutheran’s Associated Student Body (ASB) serves the Lancer community each year. This year’s ASB team is working on special events for students such as a pop-up coffee shop, class fundraisers, dances and activities that celebrate all things OLu.
Serving ASB this year as co-presidents are seniors Harry Bagramian and Cassidy Cheng.
Harry Bagramian – Senior
ASB Co-President
While he got a later start in ASB as junior class president last year, it didn’t take long for Harry to find a home in serving the OLu community. His goal this year is to help elevate school spirit and community across all campus activities in an effort to bring together Lancers of all ages.
Cassidy Cheng – Senior
ASB Co-President
Cassidy has been serving in ASB since freshman year and sees a good mix of creativity, excitement and energy in this year’s leadership team. She and the team are working to improve communication so that all Lancers can participate in the many events ASB has planned. She hopes to leave a strong impact on OLu through making this as memorable of a year as possible.
Diffusion
Orange Lutheran has a vibrant community of international students, and OLu’s Diffusion student mentors are there help to these new Lancers acclimate to life in the U.S., as well as give them the space on campus to celebrate their cultural identity.
Diffusion Co-Presidents for this year are junior Clara Lee and senior Yuna Jeong.
Clara Lee – Junior
Diffusion Co-President
As an international student from Korea, Clara knows the importance of having a dedicated group on OLu’s campus that helps students from all over the world adapt to their new American environment, all while continuing to honor their heritage. She is looking forward to welcoming these Lancers to campus this year.
Yuna Jeong – Senior
Diffusion Co-President
In this leadership role, Yuna and the team are working to expand Diffusion’s impact by implementing a tutoring program to support those Lancers for whom English is a second language. Yuna and the Diffusion team are also looking ahead to International Education Week in November as a time to recognize OLu’s international student community and spotlight the many cuisines, customs and cultures they represent.
Engage
Each year, Orange Lutheran welcomes a large group of transfer students to campus, and the student mentors of OLu’s Engage program are ready to help them connect with the Lancer community as they adjust to their new school.
This year’s Engage team is led by seniors Matisse Dunn and Zion Walker.
Matisse Dunn – Senior
Engage Co-President
With the goal of helping transfer students find a home at OLu, Matisse and the Engage team are working to add final exam study days to this year’s programming as a way of helping new Lancers adapt to campus. She also hopes to strengthen the bonds of the Engage mentors both with their peers and their transfer students through scheduled social events.
Zion Walker – Senior
Engage Co-President
As a transfer student who was new to OLu his junior year, Zion’s experience with Engage helped him adjust to life as a Lancer. Now he is giving back by leading other Engage mentors as they provide an easier transition for the newest members of the OLu community. Whether it’s introducing students to OLu’s comfort dog, Marty, or helping them learn about Lancer history, Zion is looking forward to being an integral part of the Lancer transfer experience.
Ignite
Freshman year of high school can be confusing and daunting, but Orange Lutheran’s Ignite team of student mentors is ready each fall to welcome these new Lancers to the campus community and help them make a smooth transition into high school by showing them the love of Christ.
Leading the Ignite mentors this year are seniors Madox Greene and Analiese Yamawaki.
Madox Greene - Senior
Ignite Co-President
In an effort to best equip the approximately 80 Ignite mentors in the program, Madox and the team are working this year to implement educational workshops on public speaking and other leadership skills. With OLu Ignite alumni serving as guest speakers, the workshops will be a benefit both to the mentors and the freshman students they serve.
Analiese Yamawaki - Senior
Ignite Co-President
After having a positive experience during her freshman year with her Ignite mentor, Analiese knew she wanted to give back to the program that was so instrumental in helping her adjust to high school at OLu. She feels the Lancer community is a welcoming group, and she knows that Ignite mentorship can have a lifelong impact on the youngest members of the OLu family.
Instrumental Leadership
Orange Lutheran’s Instrumental Music Program provides a wealth of opportunities to Lancer musicians through groups such as Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, Strings Ensemble, Jazz Band and Handbells. As a support to those groups, Instrumental Leadership offers students the chance to lead and serve their OLu classmates while supporting the arts on campus.
The OLu Instrumental Leadership team is being led this year by senior Paxton Lavigne.
Paxton Lavigne - Senior
Instrumental Leadership President
As president of OLu’s Instrumental Leadership team, Paxton leads a team of eight fellow musicians as they keep the Lancer music programs running smoothly throughout the year. In addition to making sure all the details are in place for each performance, the team also manages the school’s library of music records. A brass instrument musician, Paxton is proficient in the French horn, mellophone, trombone and trumpet. He is looking forward to representing OLu in this role and strengthening the bonds of the leadership team.
Missions
For students at Orange Lutheran who have an interest in impacting the local and international community for God and others through service, the OLu Missions Program provides the perfect setting. Three class periods of Lancers are active in planning missions trips and activities, all while growing spiritually in the areas of cross-cultural ministry, social justice and evangelism.
Leading the Missions Program this year are seniors Austin DeSousa, Cameran Schafer, Alia Tomazic, Molly Wilkerson and Malachi Zapata.
Austin DeSousa – Senior
Missions Co-President
Austin is one of the 8th Period Missions class leaders and loves the community that comes from being involved in the program. He has developed meaningful friendships with his peers, and he is looking forward to helping lead missions trips and seeing fellow Lancers grow in their faith. Austin will be bringing his photo and digital media skills to the leadership team this year.
Cameran Schafer – Senior
Missions Co-President
As a 4th Period Missions class leader, Cameran is looking forward to helping build a strong community within the program at OLu. She contributes to the public relations side of the program and has a hand in communicating missions opportunities through posters and publications like the “Toilet Paper,” a mini newsletter that is posted in the bathroom stalls across campus. Cameran enjoys experiencing fellowship with one another in a way that supports each Lancer’s walk with the Lord.
Alia Tomazic – Senior
Missions Co-President
Alia is a 4th Period Missions class leader and is excited to be a part of cultivating a positive experience for her classmates. She has a heart for recycling, and she and the team are working to build a strong, faith-based community where every student has the freedom to grow in their relationship with God.
Molly Wilkerson – Senior
Missions Co-President
Molly is in her second year as a Missions Program leader, and this year she will be serving the students in 6th Period. She considers herself a planner and is integral to the planning behind the many missions trips the program offers. Molly is looking forward to seeing her classmates grow in their faith and flourish this school year.
Malachi Zapata – Senior
Missions Co-President
Malachi is an 8th Period Missions class leader and enjoys seeing how each day’s curriculum is applicable to the daily lives of high school students. He is looking forward to coming alongside his classmates this year as they dive deeper into learning about Christ and growing in their relationships with each other.
Rooted
With the goal of celebrating the diversity that enriches the OLu campus community, Rooted is a space for all Lancers to share, discuss and explore cultural identity through different backgrounds and experiences.
Rooted will be led this year by seniors Princess Cassell and Abby Walehwa.
Princess Cassell - Senior
Rooted Co-President
As one of the newer programs on campus, Princess is excited about bringing more awareness to Rooted and reaching a wider audience of students and staff as the group aims to celebrate what make each Lancer unique. She feels that the more students who get involved, the more it will enrich the OLu experience.
Abby Walehwa - Senior
Rooted Co-President
Abby is looking forward to welcoming fellow Lancers to Rooted through a variety of diverse subgroups such as Armenian Club, Hispanic Heritage Club, Black Student Union and Polynesian Club. She and the team are working to create a place where everyone is welcome, no matter their background.
Topics from this blog: Student Life
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