As student council candidates anticipate the election results, they sit idly by, unaware of what information they’re about to receive. The results of the election are revealed by a personalized envelope for the presidential candidates, and a list of names for the vice presidential candidates. Both results are attached to student council sponsor Alejandro Garcia’s classroom door for candidates to see.
This year’s winning envelopes contained the names of juniors Reed Watts and Gabby Bochey, who were elected as Bowie’s student council co-presidents for the 2025-2026 school year.
“I’ve done a lot for the organization after having been a part of it for so long,” Watts said. “Being able to accomplish something like winning co-president is what I’ve wanted for a while and is very rewarding.”
Watts has been involved in student council since his freshman year, and held the title of vice president over yard work last school year. He’s helped provide to Bowie in many ways over the last three years, one of his main contributions has been keeping Bowie beautiful by maintaining gardens and overseeing upkeep of the greenery around campus.
“I’ve been here every Thursday after school, helping Mr. Garcia with whatever needs to be done,” Watts said. “I’ve been trying to learn everything I can about student council and prepare myself to know everything I need to know about the organization.”
Watts wants to emphasize student’s opinions on what happens in their school. He plans to do this by sending out an optional Google form every month as a check in with students, a place for them to call attention to any issues they have with the school, any plans or suggestions for improvement.
“I’ll go through each response and bring important issues to the attention of Mr. Garcia or Principal Robinson to actually get something done,” Watts said. “I want to give students more of a voice and make sure everything keeps running well.”
Bochey has also been involved in student council since her freshman year. Her previous efforts involved gardening and maintenance of the Bowie landscape, alongside painting posters for teacher appreciation. Bochey held the position of vice president of Bowie’s Got Talent this most recent school year; she had a big part in organizing the event, overseeing auditions, and hosting the show.
“Since the beginning of being a part of this organization I didn’t see the change till someone came up to me and mentioned little things around the campus that are beautiful because of the student council,” Bochey said. “Things like this really encourage me to keep being active in my community and continue to bring enjoyment, which the student council does in so many lives.”
Some of Bochey’s plans involve the revitalization of old traditions such as ‘Blue Out Bowie,’ a fundraiser which helps bring awareness to child abuse and donate to those in need. She also wants to add unique murals to the inside of Bowie painted by student organizations.
“I think the student council plays a big role in campus spirit and overall bringing life in many ways to the campus,” Bochey said. “I want to help out to bring back some of the beloved traditions that make Bowie the school it is.”
Garcia has high expectations for the newly elected presidents and expects they will succeed in office. He highlights the fact that they have both been long time members and have made continuous contributions to student council throughout their involvement with the organization.
“I’m super happy for both Reed and Gabby, they each bring their own unique strengths of communication skills and leadership experience,” Garcia said. “They’ve both learned from and watched people ahead of them and paid attention to how they’ve accomplished big things.”
The election process involved every person on campus. Students, teachers, faculty, and principals all played a part. In the election of student council president, there is a panel consisting of Wendy Uzzle, Kaylin Brett, Mark Robinson, and Alejandro Garcia. The panel interviews each presidential candidate to get an understanding of their goals and plans for Bowie if elected.
“I believe that interview is a very important part of the process,” Watts said. “It helps the principals to scan through all the students running and make sure that everyone is a worthy candidate.”
There were a total of seven presidential candidates, the five candidates who didn’t win ran for vice president. This resulted in a total of 18 candidates for vice president, of which 12 were selected in various roles. The 2025-2026 vice presidents include Noah Dougherty as VP at large, Joaquin Flores as VP for the HoCo Game, Lennon Bres and Nate Lowe as VPs for the HoCo Dance, Denisa Cotiga and Luka Hedenberg as VPs for Community Engagement, Lucy Campsmith and Shivani Dilip Latha as VPs for Bowie’s Got Talent, Emery Lieneck and Mallory Hartono as VPs for Teacher Recognition, Carson Ledford as VP for Dodgeball, and Carter Lax as VP for Yard Work.
“I’m looking forward to working closely with the other VPs this year,” Dougherty said. “We will each share ideas, support one another, and combine our strengths to create a council that will be better connected for the student body.”
