FHHS Student Council was honored to win the 2019 Southern Association of Student Councils Award in Outstanding Projects for Community Service Outreach.

Student Council members ChaDa Love, Angel  Richardson, Alexis Hargrove, Tia Green, Emma Deason, Payton Whitley, and advisers Mr. Bryan Rudolph and Ms. Sarah Dabbs participated in the Southern Association of Student Councils Conference in Sulphur, Louisiana. 

On their four-day trip, they experienced both Louisiana culture and conference activities. During the conference, they participated in workshops and swap shops where they shared ideas and discussed various topics. Outside the conference, they were able to attend a Mardi Gras museum to learn about the history of the celebration and see hundreds of the elaborate costumes. They tasted the regional Cajun cuisine like gumbo, etouffée, Boudin, and alligator tail. They also visited an alligator farm where they learned a lot about the animals’ environment, temperament, and even got to hold a baby gator if they wanted.

Before attending the conference, Forest Hills Student Council completed application forms detailing different projects that they performed at school and in the community. They were able to enter a maximum of five projects into the competition against other southern student council schools. These projects were then presented to and judged by a group of advisers. Forest Hills High School won first place for the 2019 SASC Outstanding Project in Community Service Outreach for their Walter Bickett Christmas. 

For this project each year, they gather information about students in need at Walter Bickett Elementary School. They then match Forest Hills students with those elementary students. The older students buy gifts for the younger students based on their wants and needs and then get to visit and spend quality time playing and eating lunch with the students. It means a great deal for both Forest Hills High and for Walter Bickett Elementary. Apparently, it also impressed the advisers who read through numerous project submissions.

Adviser Sarah Dabbs said, “It was such an honor to see our student leaders recognized for their hard work, all the while sharing ideas and collaborating with other councils from all over the southeast. Participating in SASC not only provides ample growth opportunities for our council but also allows students to experience a different culture.”

Sophomore Tia Green, for whom this was the first conference, said, “SASC was the best high school experience anyone could ask for! We learned so much and had tons of fun!”

Senior Payton Whitley credits her involvement in Student Council and conferences like this one with having a profound influence on her. “Student Council has given me the opportunity,” she said, “to meet people from all over the country and to grow myself, not only as a leader, but also as an individual.”

FHHS Student Council (STUCO) works continually for the improvement of Forest Hills High School, its students, and its community. Their motto for this school year is “individual jackets building a better hive,” and it can be seen in their hard work and success.