Originally published in print in August 2025. View print issues here.

Newly elected ASB President Lilly Murphy plans to utilize her past experiences inside and outside of ASB to make the class more service-oriented this coming school year.

When Murphy was a freshman in 2022, ASB contributed to acts of service such as annual blood drives and Diabetes Awareness Week, but over recent years she says the class has focused on promoting the spirit side of Branham. To counteract this shift, Murphy plans to add an ASB commission that will incorporate acts of service into all school events.

“We have such a unique platform in ASB, and we have access to a lot of materials,” Murphy said. “If we have access to that platform, we should be using it for service 100% of the time.”

During Murphy’s freshman year, the ASB class was structured differently. Currently, the class is under the leadership of an executive president. However, in 2022, the separate classes were not under a single management, which gave Murphy an authority over her freshman class similar to what she holds over the entirety of ASB today.

“Because we didn’t have that president in the class, I took on that role, and that really prepared me for this position,” Murphy said.

In her sophomore year, Murphy lost the running for class president. Although she wanted to quit, she instead took on the position of outreach director, a part of the senate branch of ASB. Murphy saw the role as having less authority than her previous one.

“It made me realize that leadership isn’t how much authority or power you have in a position, but rather it’s the impact you’re able to make in that position and the people you’re able to affect,” Murphy said. “It really tweaked the way I think about leadership, and that’s why I decided to run for president.”

As she moves into this leadership role, Murphy feels she is very different from past presidents. Although she has her personal strengths, she believes that she lacks the organizational skills others excelled in.

“I’m a little nervous that I’m just gonna miss things because I’m not quite as organized, but I’m working on it. We’re getting there,” Murphy said. “I’m getting better at being on my phone and organizing all of that.”

Despite being nervous about organization, Murphy is looking forward to the many different aspects and jobs of being president, such as meeting the incoming freshmen and becoming a role model for them.

“I hope that I can really be somebody that makes them passionate about ASB, because I really am,” Murphy said. “I definitely had those people there when I was a freshman that made me passionate for ASB, and that’s why I am here today.”