After a year of county, district, and state level involvement, Charter’s Student Government Association (SGA) has left a legacy in the PPCHS community which is now passed down to the newly inducted executive board. An intimate ceremony took place on May 13 in the library auditorium to honor the old board for their service and to welcome the eleven newly elected officers who will be taking their place in the 2026-2027 school year.
Each officer was called up to the stage by the SGA advisor, Mrs. Altimore, to align on stage for each to present their speeches. Each speech contained funny anecdotes, special shoutouts, sentimental flashbacks to heartfelt memories, and a dedication to the next officer who they would be passing the torch down to. A tissue box was placed strategically in the middle of the stage and was slid from left to right throughout the duration of the speeches as the sincere words touched deeply to those in the room.
After laughs and tears were shared when the speeches were complete, it was time for the new board to step onto the stage and stand directly in front of the officer position they would be replacing. As Mrs. Altimore shared the mission of the Student Government Association, she asked the current SGA president, Janeyliz Baez, to step forward and light the big candle in the center of the stage.
Then to take a small candle and light it up to represent the light of leadership. This candle was used to light the rest of the candles of the current board. Each officer carefully lit their new officer’s candle and extinguished theirs shortly after to symbolize their retirement as officer. They exited the stage one by one after their name was called one final time, leaving only the new board on stage.
Each officer stood proudly and confidently in what they hope to achieve as an officer, purposely choosing their job because of their passion for it. “I chose Historian not because it looks good for college, but because I have a passion for the job and a deep love for SGA. My year in SGA taught me so much and I’m ready to take on this big responsibility,” shares new junior SGA historian Emma Bentancourt.
As they all simultaneously turned to face the audience which consisted of the SGA class and now retired board members, they shared an oath that promised to dedicate their work for the wellbeing of the student body. Claps resonated throughout the room and prideful cheers were shared as the new board is now officially in term.
“It was the best feeling ever to be inducted. I can’t wait to be SGA’s vice president next school year and I’m so excited to see how SGA will be in the future years,” exclaims newly inducted junior vice president Armani Hernandez.
For the SGA senior board members, special sashes were personalized for each officer for their graduation ceremony along with an SGA medallion that was placed around the neck of all SGA seniors by the president. To end the celebration of the seniors, each student received a special, personalized gift from Mrs. Altimore along with the announcement of senior superlatives.
From “most likely to steal the mic” to “most likely to become principal,” seniors received a certificate for their unique personalities that have as a whole added such spirit to the classroom and school campus.
The ceremony ended with refreshments and shared laughter among the entire class who joined in this ceremony to support and celebrate all the leaders that have made up such a unique class. To show even further appreciation, the entire SGA class came together to plan a special surprise from their advisor whose birthday happened to also fall on the day of this ceremony.
As a birthday cake rose from the back table and candles lit the way toward where Mrs. Altimore was standing, all students sang to her in unison. One last celebration together— as a family. This was exactly what encapsulated the class as a whole. The willingness to celebrate one another for all accomplishments. Which is why, “saying goodbye to my SGA family was one of the hardest goodbyes I had to face in high school. The friendships and life lessons I learned will last a lifetime,” expresses senior Kaitlyn Oramas.
As they exited the library auditorium, seniors and underclassmen took it all in. Hugs and photographs were shared among the students, recognizing this would be one of the last times they would all be standing in the same room together. As the class of 2026 prepares to march out of Charter’s gates and prepare for the real world, the underclassmen prepare to follow in their footsteps and leave a special SGA legacy.
“After three incredible years, stepping down feels both bittersweet and immensely rewarding. Passing the torch isn’t about letting go; it’s about watching the next generation of leaders take what we’ve built and run it even further. I couldn’t be prouder,” explains newly retired senior vice president Sofia Mejia.
A special congratulations to the new 2026-2027 executive board who are prepared to do incredible things as Charter’s new student government leaders.
