When Montgomery County High School seniors Cora Johnson and Trenton Moose were selected as the student representatives of the R-II School District board in September, they were excited about the opportunity of sharing the news about their school once a month.

“Each month, we make up a report of different things that happened at the high school,” Johnson said. “We normally elaborate on them at the meeting, but they’re just an overview of what the board can look at and kind of see what life is like in high school because they don’t get to see it every day there. But we do. We get to be their eyes there and bring out things that the student body has voiced to us and other items that we feel like that need to be brought to the board’s attention.”

Johnson and Moose are part of a board that includes president Maria Stille, vice-president Karl Finke, secretary Karl Queathem, treasurer John Woods and board members Kasey Pottebaum, Micah Hans and Kali Salazar.

Board meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month. The next board meeting will be held on Jan. 12 at Montgomery City Elementary School. Johnson, whose mother teaches at MCHS, said she has enjoyed going to board meetings since she was a little girl.

“It’s very cool to be on the other side and be able to present to the community all of the cool things that we’re doing at the high school and be able to work with all of our wonderful school board members who have supported us and worked for the betterment of our schools,” Johnson said. “It’s just a very personal and amazing thing to work with them.”

Moose said his first meeting in September was very intimidating since he had to speak in public.

“I have really bad social anxiety,” Moose said. “I’m not a public speaker. So I’m doing this to work on that and I feel like it’s working.”

Moose and Johnson spend about an hour a week preparing for board meetings. The seniors have private sessions with MCHS principal Brian Ernst on the week of the meeting. Recently, they added a teacher’s spotlight, which they highlight an MCHS teacher each month.

Johnson has been a very active student this year. Besides being a student representative on the R-II school board, Johnson also a member of the FFA and FCCLA chapters, participates in band and academic bowl and serves as manager of the MCHS track and cross country teams.

“Good time management is absolutely a huge part of it,” said Johnson, who recently got accepted to Washington University in St. Louis. “But when you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. That’s kind of what everything feels like now. I love my FFA chapter and I love my food science team. Everything we’re doing right now, it feels like I’m having an impact. I’m working with younger kids, being a mentor and being on the school board. I feel like I’m helping people in all of the activities I’m doing, which feels incredible. It will be hard to leave and have to go to a new environment where I have to make those connections again. But I’m so happy that I have a community here that’s always supported me.”

Moose, who is a member of the academic bowl team, hopes to attend WashU next year. He said he’s going to miss MCHS after he graduates in May.

“It’s going to be a shame having to leave,” Moose said. “In my freshman year, I couldn’t wait to leave. Now, as I’m looking back. I wished it could have lasted longer.”