The student body president elections for the 2025–2026 school year concluded with the election of Olivia Ritter ‘26 and Luke Vilhauer ‘26. This annual process, a hallmark of the school’s emphasis on student leadership and community involvement, brought forward strong candidates and a spirited dialogue about the future of the school.
The student body co-presidents’ responsibilities include representing the needs of all students, modeling Branson’s core values and fostering a sense of unity within the school community.
In general, the role of the student body co-presidents include weekly meetings with Whitney Livermore, dean of student life, organizing Senate meetings and planning assemblies are some of the many tasks the elected leaders undertake. They also focus on implementing strategic improvements and gathering feedback from students to enhance their high school experience.
This year’s election process encouraged active participation and critical thinking from candidates. Interested students began by submitting a 90-second video responding to the prompt: “How would you define success for yourself in this role? Imagine yourself on Graduation Day, looking back on the year. How would you know if you had done a good job as student body president? What impact would you hope to have had?”
From there, an initial voting round narrowed the field to four finalists who participated in a live town hall. Candidates picked predetermined questions out of a hat and then were given a chance to respond to a question of their choosing, providing insight into their plans, values and readiness for the role. The final voting round determined the winners, the results of which were announced on May 7.
For Ritter, who is also a Blazer editor, running for student body president was a decision she made at the last minute.
“Some of my senior friends encouraged me to do it, so I decided to just go for it and try my hardest,” Ritter said. “I’ve always kind of wanted to be student body president. It seems to me like somebody who represents what the school is about and has a big role in shaping the culture at Branson. And I think I do a really good job at that, so I’m really excited for the role.”
Looking ahead, Ritter aspires to leave a lasting legacy at Branson, although she acknowledges that her vision is still taking shape.
“I know I want to improve the culture, but figuring out the steps and the detailed impact I want to leave will take more thought,” she admitted. “I want to make sure I’m deserving of this leadership role, and I’ll do my best to leave a positive and meaningful legacy.”
Carl Smith ‘26, one of the four finalists who participated in the town hall, described his decision to run for the position as a way to give back to a community that had given so much to him.
“I love being a part of Branson,” he said. “This community has given so much to me. I came to Branson knowing three people, and now I can confidently call at least 200 people my friends. I’ve always wanted to give back to the school. Running for president felt like the ultimate way to contribute because it’s a role where you can shape the school in meaningful ways.”
Smith’s experience in the election process was marked by positive interactions with his peers and fellow candidates.
“The reaction from my peers was a pleasant surprise,” he said. “I was kind of scared there might be animosity, but everyone was so supportive. Some people said they voted for me, others didn’t, but there were no hard feelings. Between the candidates, we all understood that any of us would have been good presidents. We stayed friendly throughout the process.”
Although he was not elected, Smith expressed satisfaction with how he conducted himself during the campaign.
“There are definitely things I could have done differently,” he said. “I could have pushed harder or answered questions differently at the town hall. But I chose to just be myself and let my actions and contributions to Branson speak for themselves. I didn’t want to fake a persona. Even though I didn’t win, I’m happy with how I handled everything.”
Despite not being elected as student body president, Smith’s commitment to the Branson community remains unwavering. Looking ahead, he is determined to continue to make impacts through other avenues of leadership.
“Becoming president was never the cornerstone of my high school experience,” he said. “Next year, I’m planning to lead clubs, affinity spaces, and continue building relationships. I want to be someone people can look up to and keep strengthening our community. My goal is to contribute in meaningful ways, whether or not I hold an official title.”
