“Committed to excellence” is the motto all Pleasant Valley High School students strive to live by. Senior Leila Assadi has taken this one step further by embodying the motto. As President of the Positive Place club, member of Chamber Choir, an executive of Spartan Assembly and captain of the soccer team, Assadi has fully immersed herself to contribute to the student body of Pleasant Valley High School.
Positive Place is a student-led club that meets on early-out Wednesdays. Members of the organization hope to improve school diversity and acceptance by participating in productive discourse. The club is open to anybody who would like to join and members of the club treat each other with the utmost respect regardless of differing opinions.
Assadi was one of the original members of the club and felt drawn to the message it was trying to spread—one of her core beliefs and motivators in life is growing as a person through introducing herself to people from different walks of life. “Positive Place has helped me form connections with a diverse group of people who have all impacted me in various ways. The club taught me the importance of using one’s voice” she stated.
For Assadi, her work with the student body extends beyond the discussion circle. As a member of Spartan Assembly for the last four years and an executive her senior year, she has shown through her actions that she devotes herself to creating a better environment for the school. Her role as executive required her to be responsible for planning an array of events ranging from school dance festivities to blood drives.
The student body counts on Assadi and she accepts the responsibility with pride. Although she is now comfortable addressing a full gymnasium at assemblies, that wasn’t always the case. Assadi’s time spent in the organization has led her to grow into the role of a leader, fostering traits of dependability, organization and compassion.
“Spartan Assembly forced me to branch out of my comfort zone. I always would have described myself as an introvert, but holding the exec position really forced me to speak up and out. Freshman year Leila would have never dreamed about leading an assembly, I really was able to develop my public speaking skills,” she said.
It is evident through Assadi’s work in the online Spartan Shield that she holds a fierce passion for making a positive impact on her peers while educating them. Her role as a leader shines through in her articles as she is vocal about her beliefs and advocates for those without a voice.
Assadi’s writing has earned her recognition from SNO seven times and a first place for social justice reporting in the spring contest. In the last year she has written numerous articles on different aspects of Middle Eastern culture, injustices happening within the United States and her passion for music.
Assadi’s passion for music plays an important role in her life. She not only enjoys listening to different genres and artists, but has a melodic voice of her own. She has been an active member of Pleasant Valley’s choir program since the fourth grade, participating in festivals, solos and group performances. “We just had our last concert, so the past 10 years of choir finally ended for me. I have always loved singing and music, so it was only natural for me to involve myself in choir, ” she said.
In her junior year, Assadi’s passions expanded as she discovered Ethics Bowl. As an individual who is keen on research and discussion, she quickly came to adore it. “Ethics Bowl was one of my favorite activities that I have been involved in. It taught debate skills, teamwork, and collaboration” she stated. The club is centered around applying ethical frameworks to given cases and it has helped Assadi further her analytical thinking skills while aiding in her personal growth.
Pleasant Valley High School is home to an extremely accomplished and involved student body, but what makes Assadi stand out is not her well-roundedness or awards, but her discipline. No matter the activity or cause, she can be seen dedicating herself to it wholly, a trait that is hard to come by. Her outstanding efforts in every endeavor leads her to embody the Pleasant Valley motto.
