Sarah Harris may be a name you’ve heard before. Recently deemed a Youth Rising Star in Community Excellence by Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce, the high school senior has made herself known, whether it’s on the field at Boothbay Region High School (BRHS), the theater stage, or volunteering around town. 

Four years ago, Harris was a newcomer with two goals: Get to know her new classmates and become student body president. Now the latter dream has finally come true.  

Student government is old hat for Harris as the former freshman and sophomore class vice president and junior class president, but her new role is further reaching. Harris acts as the head of the student council, which represents peer interests, gives input to administration on student matters, and plans events such as Homecoming, pep rallies and parades. Harris is also the student representative during school board meetings.   

Part of Harris’ motivation to run was her love of leadership and event planning. So far, her most rewarding experience was seeing the level of detail and dedication each class put into decorating their hallways for Homecoming last month. She also expressed gratitude to her fellow council members for making the week’s celebrations run smoothly, especially as the planning phase can be stressful.  

“Honestly, what I didn't realize about the job was how many emails I would have to send,” she said, laughing. There were at least 50 for Homecoming alone.  

Yet, Harris’ main platform was the promise to build stronger collaboration between grades and with other schools in the county.  

She’s already put her plans into action through a partnership between the BRHS Interact Club, the Healthy Lincoln County Youth Advisory Committee — which Harris founded — and Community Resource Council (CRC) to do a food drive during the Nov. 14 Community Night at Gardens Aglow. Harris also connected with the Lincoln Academy student council, who will be having food collection bins at their school to benefit the CRC.  

The opportunity arose when Harris offered the services of the Interact Club during the CRC’s emergency meeting to coordinate a local response to the federal disruption to the SNAP program. 

“A big model of Interact is ‘service above self.’ I think that’s what I've really tried to follow in my four years in high school ... because this community is so meaningful for me. They welcomed me with open arms.”  

In addition to the previously mentioned organizations, Harris tries to bridge community gaps as a youth trustee for the YMCA and, when she’s not doing that, she's a cheerleader, drama club member, and recently Cinderella in a production of “Into the Woods” at Heartwood Regional Theater. It's a “tricky” balance to maintain along with homework, and that's another reason collaboration is a priority.  

Harris explained, “There's a lot of overlap between clubs, so making sure that we're not taking away from anyone and letting every club have their moment ... their successful fundraiser or event ... is a way that I'm able to manage my time.” 

However, with her full plate of activities, she hasn’t been able to attend school board meetings; an issue she hopes to remedy soon. “(It) has been a little frustrating, because I think it is super important to have that student voice at those meetings because it is us that (the board is) talking about.” 

Harris' sense of service to her classmates is part of a larger personal belief in giving back to the school and community that has equipped her with the experiences she'll be taking with her to college in the Washington, D.C. area. She plans to major in public health or policy.