Each week, a group of students is selected for their unique potential as leaders to come together as the 5 student Cacique Council, “Cacique” meaning leader in ancient Lucayan. During that week, the group will plan special activities for their peers, run morning and evening circles, facilitate communication between students and faculty, and fulfill other important roles as needed. Members of the council are welcomed into the new role during Community Meeting, in which a public acknowledgement of each individual’s leadership qualities is read aloud. Enjoy these “Cacique Pass-Offs” written by last week’s Cacique Council. Join us in welcoming the next group of young leaders: Helena, Taylor, Ben, Charlotte, and John.

Helena is not only one of the funniest and most outgoing people I know, but also the most friendly.  Her attempts to be friends with all of the girls in the dorm are noticed by everyone.  Within the very first couple of days she had everyone’s name down pat. When coming to a new place it is usually comfortable to find one friend and stay with them, but she challenged herself to branch out and attempt to be friends with everyone.  Whether she is in the dorm starting a dance party or rolling off of the boat during scuba week, she is always making an effort to have fun and include everyone.  Because of all of that, I think she would be a great leader and Cacique.  Congratulations Helena!

Taylor has show tremendous leadership ever since our first day at The Island School.  In addition to constantly volunteering himself to do some of the harder jobs on campus, such as cleaning the boys’ dorm bathrooms or staying late at dish crew, he has shown strength and resilience during morning exercise.  He always pushes himself both mentally and physically to the limits and is never satisfied with a half-completed job.  Therefore, I nominate Taylor Fasolo to the next Cacique Council.

This fine young lad has exemplified leadership in many different aspects of Island School life. He’s a hard-worker in the classroom, a strong swimmer for swim-track, and a reliable friend for everyone. He doesn’t shy away from any extra work that needs doing, serving as a constant reminder for us all to remain altruistic and community-based. The positive attitude he constantly maintains can even make dish crew fun. I have no doubts that Ben will make a great new Cacique.

I admire Charlotte a lot. She is always around to help out, whether it’s to help me stay calm during scuba week or to always give a hand to get those girls’ tents set up during kayak. She is always working hard right up till 10:30 and up on time every morning ready for morning exercise. Charlotte takes every opportunity that is offered to live the full experience here at The Island School, from free dives to leading stretches after a run. She is one girl with a great spirit who I know will be a great Cacique with taking a role of leadership.

I would like to nominate John for his hard work, eagerness to get involved in all activities and his openness to trying new things. He has opted to get up on a Sunday and go explore, go on a dive and has always put his hand up for group activities. He is a jack-of-all-trades and I hope this will make him a good leader. For these reasons I would like to nominate John.