Derek Rood

With Olivia Faacks and Tamala Zwart as campaign managers, anything may be possible for Pequot Lakes High School junior Derek Rood.

With the help of his campaign manager classmates and other Pequot Lakes High School Student Council members, Derek was elected president of the Minnesota Student Council Central Division Executive Board for the 2008-09 school year.

He's serving as secretary of that board this school year, as well as PLHS Student Council secretary and junior class president.

About 300 students from schools in central Minnesota elected Derek as Central Division president Feb. 20 at the Minnesota Student Council Central Division Convention in Sauk Rapids.

His campaign slogan was, "Take a Stride with Derek for Central Division president." A campaign tactic was to hand out Stride gum.

"It was a great success because lunch at the convention was tacos," Derek said, noting everybody enjoyed the minty gum after spicy tacos.

Derek almost had to campaign on his own. Pequot Lakes schools started two hours late on Feb. 20 because of cold weather, so a bus to take PLHS Student Council members to Sauk Rapids was canceled.

Derek had traveled to Sauk Rapids a day early for executive board duties. Five fellow council members were able to drive to Sauk Rapids, and the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley student bus stopped at PLHS to pick up Derek's campaign materials.

So he was able to set up his campaign booth and give a speech. A primary narrowed the candidates to two for each position, and each answered final questions designed to show their leadership capabilities.

The six executive board members and their Student Council advisers meet once a month at Perkin's Restaurant in Little Falls to share ideas. The board organizes the fall and spring student council conventions that feature leadership workshops and motivational speakers.

The board also advocates a state community service project for all student councils. Last year, student councils made tie blankets for fire departments and homeless shelters.

This year, a go-green project has student councils planting trees, advocating recycling programs and prompting their schools to use more energy efficient light bulbs.

"I like organizing different events and organizing community service projects," Derek said of his Student Council involvement.

Derek first became a student council member in third through fifth grades in Brooklyn Park. His parents, Scott and Patti, moved to Pequot Lakes when Derek was entering sixth grade and his brother, Brandon, was entering ninth grade.

Derek became involved in Student Council again as a freshman. Last year, Student Council member Jon Liedl urged Derek to run for executive secretary of the Central Division board.

"I thought about it and decided to give it a shot," Derek said. "Once I got on, it was a blast."

The six board members have become good friends who enjoy getting together for activities outside of their executive board duties. Others currently on the executive board are seniors from Albany, Sartell, St. Cloud and Walker.

After serving nearly a year on the executive board, Derek decided he wanted more responsibility. So he ran for president.

"I like meeting new people and networking with them, bouncing ideas off each other and making fun activities for people to go to," he said.

PLHS Student Council adviser Amy Wyant has nothing but praise for Derek.

"Derek is one of the strongest student leaders I've had the honor of working with," she said. "He inspires others to get involved in our school; he is very organized. He can see the big picture yet execute all the details that are required to plan an event on a large scale. He has a positive attitude, great work ethic and is a wonderful role model for our student body."

Last year, Derek was a HOBY ambassador, which is an international leadership organization for sophomores.

When he's not busy with Student Council and Interact Club activities, Derek enjoys running and pole vaulting with the track team, attending high school hockey and basketball games, working during the summer at the Nisswa Dairy Queen, and just hanging out with friends.