After running unopposed in the 2023 election, Anji Ashaye ’24 and Jacquo Pierre ’24 served as allschool presidents during the 2023- 2024 school year.
Ashaye and Pierre sat down with Ellie Prinz ’27 before graduation to reflect on their year as leaders of the student body.
In addition to their presidency, Ashaye and Pierre were involved in a variety of activities across campus.
Ashaye was a board member of the Hotchkiss Dramatic Association (HDA), and acted in various mainstage and black box productions throughout the years. She was also co-captain of Girls JV Soccer, Girls JV Basketball, and Varsity Track and Field; a news editor for The Record; co-head of Girls Who Lift; and a proctor.
Pierre was a co-captain of Varsity Football, member of Varsity Wrestling and Varsity Ultimate Frisbee, proctor, Upper Mid class president, and co-head of WKIS, the student radio station.
What were your favorite parts of being all-school presidents?
Anji Ashaye ’24: I would say my favorite part was the exposure it brought me to faculty and students. I got to work with so many student groups and faculty members who I wouldn’t have gotten to know if I didn’t have this role. It has made me feel very connected to the school community.
Jacquo Pierre ’24: Definitely feeling more connected with the school faculty and administrators. It has been cool to work with them, hear their ideas, and get an idea of how the professional world works. I also had the opportunity to build relationships that I’m sure will last a long time.
What have been your biggest accomplishments as presidents?
AA: We really wanted to establish a sense of spirit and fun that we thought was lacking coming out of the pandemic. Smaller things like our Instagram account and Fun Fridays, in addition to newer things like Dorm Olympics and The Voice competition, helped us bring engagement and fun back to students this year.
JP: For me, it was having more fun all-school meetings and initiatives that were purely for the benefit of the students. We set a lofty goal, but we really put the work in, with a lot of late nights making videos and planning events. I think we lived up to our promise of making Hotchkiss a more fun school.
What were some of the greatest challenges you faced this year?
JP: Our expectations, for sure. We had a lot of ideas early on, and a lot of them happened on different timelines than we imagined. For example, we thought the student feedback form was an idea we could implement really quickly, but it ended up taking a long time, which was frustrating.
AA: I agree with Jacquo about expectations. There were some cases of having to adapt to unexpected situations—the FFC is a good example of that—as something we weren’t very sure about going into the school year. Adaptability really helped us through that transition.
Who helped you to achieve your goals?
AA: There were so many people who were really helpful this year, like Mrs. Lisa Brown, chief of staff to the head of school; Mr. Derek Brashears, director of theatre; Mr. Craig Bradley, head of school; and Dr. Amber Douglas, associate head of school. We would also like to thank Isamar Martinez ’24, our incredible communications officer, plus friends and faculty members who would just check in on us and our work.
JP: Definitely all the people Anji mentioned and all the “regulars” at Stu-Fac who showed up a lot. A shoutout to Ms. Marcie Wistar, director of student activities and clubs, because I see her putting in the work, boots on the ground, getting her hands dirty. She is really dedicated and always willing to help when we need it.
What were some of the most significant lessons you learned this year?
AA: I learned how to prioritize myself when needed, because when you take on a role like this, you’re representing the school and a lot is asked of you. Part of taking on this role is sacrificing your time, so I have learned it’s important to set boundaries for myself.
JP: This role taught me how to be flexible, because nothing ever goes exactly as planned. Everything turns out well for the most part, but you have to be able to stay calm and adapt to the situation if something goes wrong, too.
What is your biggest piece of advice for next year’s all-school presidents, Eleni Kontokosta ’25 and Isaiah Stephens ’25?
AA: The biggest thing for me is that you can’t be a good leader without being a good person first. So, represent in yourself the values that you want the community to have. Leading by example is important if you want people to follow.
JP: As all-school presidents, but also in life, you want to always shoot for the stars. Dream big, and remember that the more effort you put into something, the better your results will be. Always try to be better than you were yesterday, because you are only in this role once, and you don’t want to look back on something later and think, “I could’ve done better.”
