All the Makings of a Great Leader

Some people have a certain spark and the willingness to work hard. After meeting Monica Alves it is easy to understand why she was selected as Student Council president for the past three years. In a senior class that is academically very competitive, Alves has been a standout owing to her personality and strong work ethic.

Articulate. Enthusiastic. Outgoing.

Those are some words her guidance counselor, Michele Houle, used to describe her.

“She is a passionate student who is always eager to learn and always striving to do her best," Houle said. "Monica shines as a leader at as well as outside the school. Her talents coupled with her desire to succeed will facilitate her success in future endeavors.”

As Student Council president, Alves attends School Committee meetings and will be in charge of managing and raising money for the Senior Prom at Gillette Stadium.

“I decided to get involved with student government with the encouragement of my peers,” Alves said.

She will spend this fall juggling those responsibilities along with a heavy AP workload, which includes literature, environmental science and statistics classes. She has already completed 11 college applications including her favorites: College of the Holy Cross, Assumption College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Bowdoin College and University of Maine. She wants to study environmental science and is most interested in the effects of climate change.

“We keep talking about how our environment is changing and it seems that everyone is putting it off on to our generation. I thought, maybe I should do something about that. Someone has to take responsibility.”

Taking responsibility is what great leaders do.

Until then, her senior year is packed with other committments. She is the treasurer of the Student Leadership Council and the clarinet section leader for the marching band. She is in the stage crew for the upcoming production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Novemeber 4, 5, and 6) and will be in the pit for the spring musical production. Alves is also a teaching assistant at a local pre-school.

Some of you may recognize her name from her blogs . You can add writing and insight to her list of talents.

What will Alves miss most come spring? “The sense of community at MHS. Both students and teachers. These first connections are the ones I think I’ll cherish most. But I’m also excited to get out there and make a difference.”

As Vince Lombardi said: "Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile."

It takes the whole package to succeed as a leader, and Alves has shown she is bold enough and driven enough to be a great one.