Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 22, 1994 TAG: 9411030003
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S15 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KAREN L. DAVIS SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In fourth grade, he was vice president of the Penn Forest Elementary Student Council; in fifth grade, he served as school president.
In 1989, he became involved at the regional and state levels when he was elected Roanoke Valley region elementary school representative on the Virginia Student Council Association's board of directors. After he moved to Cave Spring Junior High School, he continued to serve as a regional representative for four years.
In March, as a sophomore at Cave Spring High School, Points became Virginia's first rising junior to be elected to a one-year term as VSCA president at the state convention in Richmond.
Not surprisingly, Points, 16, wants to pursue a career in politics or international business after he graduates. He will attend 11th grade at Woodberry Forest School near Charlottesville this fall.
Points, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Steve Points of Roanoke, said his nine years of student council involvement has had a ``huge and positive impact on my life. I'm a better person because of the skills it has given me.''
The VSCA, which comprises public and private elementary, middle and high schools throughout the state, promotes leadership skills and democratic ideals among young people. Within individual schools, student councils serve as the student governments and sponsor school and community service projects.
``SCA teaches you how to motivate people, how to take them out of their comfort zone and get them to interact with their peers,'' Points said.
As VSCA president, Points represented the state at the 58th National Association of Student Councils Convention in St. Louis in June.
The national meeting included workshops on leadership and communication skills. Noted speakers were ``Dateline'' co-host Stone Phillips and Olympic gold medalist Bonnie Blair.
Points also led a Virginia elementary SCA workshop in Blackstone in July and a secondary-school SCA workshop at Longwood College in Farmville in August.
``Virginia is one of the few states to have SCA programs at the elementary level,'' said Susan Bell, a teacher and SCA adviser at Penn Forest Elementary.
Bell was Points' adviser when he first got involved with SCA.
``He has a real gift for leadership,'' she said.
At the elementary level, SCA involvement usually starts with parents' persuading their kids to run for office, Bell said. The skills children learn at that age enhance their self-esteem and remain with them for the rest of their lives.
Points said one of the most important insights he has gained from SCA participation is: ``As we move toward the future, we have to be active, not passive. Things aren't going to change by themselves. It's important to stand up and say what you believe in and stand by that. That is more important than what people think or say about you. But you still have to respect others for their different ideas, because that's how we learn from each other.''
Points said much of his term as VSCA president will be spent making sure that an upcoming merger between VSCA and the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals is accomplished as smoothly as possible.
``This year, we will be setting the groundwork for years to come,'' he said. ``Membership will grow with the merger, and we will see a huge push for leadership in the schools. The merger will help get more schools involved and will impress upon people the importance of leadership skills.''
Will he run for another term during his senior year?
``I will only run again if I thought I could do a better job and take the organization to a new level,'' he said.
by CNB