Advisor profile by Daniel O’Toole. All other profiles by Hadjar Yousfi. All photos submitted by James Valente.
Advisor: Michael Lightbody
The class of 2023 found a stroke of good luck when history teacher Michael Lightbody offered his name to be their class advisor. Lightbody has a lengthy history at Malden High, graduating in 1986 and becoming a teacher in MHS at the beginning of the ‘97-’98 school year. Lightbody was also an active and involved student during his time at the high school by being a member of the football team and playing in the band for all four years.
There was nothing that came easy for Lightbody and his student council over the years after they lost the end of freshman and essentially the entirety of sophomore year for fundraising due to COVID. However, they picked it up and covered massive amounts of ground with timely events such as football games, car washes, and the all important Junior Varieties. Lightbody commented on how proud he was for their resilience through thick and thin and “not losing hope when it got rough.”
Lightbody felt that his experience was possibly his greatest strength by being able to aid them in ideas and answering any difficult questions that arose. “Having been an advisor before and being in the high school for more than 20 years at this point, I know how everything is supposed to be run and I could tell when they needed some advice.” He continued on, saying “I have a lot of connections in the building and the city so if we ever needed a hand, I knew the people to go to.”
The driving motivation behind Lightbody’s decision to become a class advisor again had to do with his daughter Peyton and how he wanted to make sure she and all her classmates had the best high school experience possible. “When I found out that I had the opportunity to become the advisor, I immediately jumped at the chance since it would allow me to make the most for Peyton.”
When asked how it was like to work with Peyton since she got voted on as a member of the student council, Lightbody said it was a fun experience since “she’s very unlike me and is very good with her time management.” Lightbody added how “it just made it easier because I could get information out and she was able to take my ideas and make them a reality. Another was how easy it was for the kids to come to me since I could ask her the question and she could come up with a quick answer and vice versa.”
Going back to the roadblocks the council endured, Lightbody added on how hard fundraising can be for any club or organization or sports team in the school since “we’re all pretty much targeting the same people for donations, so getting creative with what we had to do became an essential part of the fundraising process.”
Unfortunately, this is Lightbody’s last ride at being a class advisor as he described how “as this class graduates, I’m probably going to retire as a class advisor, that ship has sailed, but I enjoyed every minute of it.” However, Lightbody didn’t rule out volunteering and is committed to “offering my time for specific events.”
“Working the last four years with the officers and kids of the Class of ‘23 has been a very lifting and gratifying experience. I hope that they all find their way and have their best days in college and life ahead.”
MICHAEL LIGHTBODY
Vice President: Andrew Louis
This year’s Class of 2023 Vice President was none other than Andrew Louis. Louis started off his role feeling nervous because it was his “first time being a part of the council.” But he never let his nerves stop him and made sure to keep in mind something that his first-grade teacher once told him as a child, “just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean you can’t believe in it.”
Naturally, Louis soon adjusted and found that it was quite exciting to be a part of such a particular group of students, and even expressed that he regretted not running for the Council sooner. Being so new to something such as this, Louis did not know what to expect, but he knew that he “wanted to make a change because that’s what the people who elected me would have wanted.”
When not in school or helping with the council as Vice President Louis enjoys playing football, running track, and playing piano. As he steps down this year from the position he wants to thank his fellow students for electing him and allowing him the opportunity to represent them as their Vice President.
Secretary: Isabella Ivy
Being Secretary for the Class of 2023 was an experience that Isabella Ivy describes as “interesting and sometimes challenging but worth it in the end.” Having been Secretary for a long time, Ivy enjoys working with the Council to prepare JVs and other important fundraisers, and after such a valuable experience she explained, “It was a fun experience that taught me the value of collective efforts and creative thinking.”
Ivy is a very creative person who enjoys drawing, playing, and listening to music, as well as going out to eat with her friends. As a young student, Ivy quickly realized her passion for music by joining her middle school’s band. “It really gave me a sense of community and introduced me to a passion that I would stick with all the way up to my senior year.” Through her involvement in the band, Ivy explained that “the friends [she’s] made along the way have undoubtedly helped me grow as a person.”
As the year comes to an end Ivy wishes that she could have done more to ensure the most perfect of years for the seniors as she “always [believes] there is room for improvement.” But no matter what she hopes that the Class of 2023 leaves with this piece of advice in mind: “Enjoy these next few years as we all find ourselves and just be content and comfortable in making mistakes because that’s what this time is for.”
Social Media Coordinator: Jianna Downey
Although Jianna Downey only became an officer for the Class of 2023 this year as a Social Media Coordinator, she has been unofficially involved with them since Freshman year. “I helped out as much as I could especially last year with raising money for prom, and just wanted to have a fun full year of school in person! I feel like the student council last year was strong, and having new officers this year definitely changed things up, but we worked through it,” Downey explained.
When not working hard both at school and at work, Downey enjoys spending time at Target, eating tacos, napping, or just going out for a nice drive. Downey also enjoys spending time with her family and most especially her Nana, “she’s always had a smile on her face and has never failed to make me laugh.” Downey feels that spending time with someone so upbeat and fun really influenced the way that she is today as she is always laughing and smiling.
Downey is sad to leave but is ready for what the future holds, as she leaves she is especially thankful for teachers like James Valente, Jessie Belfer, and Julie Grillon for their support of her. With one last message to her class Downey wishes “everyone the best in their future endeavors!”
Social Media Coordinator: Noelle Hayes
Noelle Hayes mostly characterizes her time as a Social Media Coordinator for the Class of 2023 as first and foremost a learning experience for her. “It taught me a lot about making decisions for a bigger group of people,” she explained.
An energetic person, Hayes enjoys playing softball, going out with friends, going for a drive, and just being in the sun, most especially watching the sunset. As an outgoing person, Hayes feels that living in such a diverse community really helped to shape who she is as a person, “whether it was with different upbringings, ethnicities, beliefs, identities, etc. it really taught me that everyone’s experiences are different and that there is 100% nothing wrong with that.”
Hayes truly enjoyed her time as an officer and hopes to wish all of her peers “good luck on whatever path you are on,” with one last reminder to “always treat people with kindness.”
Social Media Coordinator: Zhi Zhu
One of the three Social Media Coordinators, Zhi Zhu found being a part of the Class of 2023 Student Council to be quite a stressful but unforgettable experience. Working as a Social Media Coordinator meant that he and the other Coordinators were in charge of getting “a lot of information out to the class body and also without any mistakes in the information provided out on social media platforms.”
When not in school or dedicating his time to the Council Zhu enjoys taking pictures as well as learning new things, for example, the guitar, which he picked up just this year. “It is just good to try new things, especially if you are bored,” Zhu explained. When looking back on his life, Zhu feels one of the most impactful parts of his life was meeting the right people that allowed him to flourish. “It helped me become true to myself and made me realize that I’m someone who really cares about others and likes to help them. I used to be very quiet before finding these friends.”
Though Zhu enjoyed his time as an officer, he did feel as though he put quite a bit of strain on himself to perform well academically while still keeping up with other commitments. With this new experience in hand, Zhu advises his fellow students to “do what you love, but also know your limits.”
Event Coordinator: Edmond Chen
As an Event Coordinator, Edmond Chen was tasked with planning “events that fundraise money for future occasions such as prom and graduation along with promoting a sense of community within the class of 2023.” Chen enjoyed being an officer and found it to be quite exciting to help others enjoy their senior year as much as possible. “ I learned how to collaborate with different people, cultivate interesting experiences, and balance various responsibilities,” Chen explained.
Chen is a very active member of the community outside of the school as he is a part of and holds many officer positions in different organizations, for example, SNHS, and the YMCA Leaders Club. He also loves playing Field Hockey and managing the Boys’ Tennis team. Outside of being active in the community, Chen enjoys exploring new worlds through different video games and TV Shows. “Respecting my hair was a big part of respecting myself, which helped me grow as an individual and respect the people around me,” Chen explained that upon coming to terms with his preferences when it came to his hair, he was better able to come to terms with himself as a person, which ultimately helped to encourage his growth as a person.
As the year comes to a close Chen wishes that they as a class had more time together, “I feel that this was the biggest challenge that affect our fundraising and commonalities as a class.” As Chen prepares to graduate he wants to, “thank the students of the class of 2023 for their resilience displayed throughout our collective journey of an abnormal high school experience!” He also chose to recognize and thank “every one of our teachers for the connections they’ve made with their students and acknowledge the sacrifices they’ve made for the sake of our education,” as the year comes to an end.
Event Coordinator: Peyton Lightbody
As an Event Coordinator for the Class of 2023 Peyton Lightbody “loved being able to plan things for the class and be part of memories that people have after they graduate.”
Outside of school, Lightbody enjoys many different hobbies for example participating in AAU Softball as she has been playing since she was seven, as well as just watching TV, and going out for a nice drive. “I danced from when I was 2-17 and I grew up in that studio and it taught me everything about who I am as a person today,” Lightbody said describing her experience with dance.
As the year comes to a close Lightbody emphasizes her regret that she and the other officers had not done more, though she is grateful for how much they were able to accomplish. Lightbody explained that when it comes to the Class of 2023, “we have already overcome so much so any challenges that may come your way after you leave Malden High you have all of the tools to accomplish.”
Event Coordinator: Kiley Fray
One of the Class of 2023’s Event Coordinators is none other than Kiley Fray, who had a memorable and rewarding experience helping to plan the senior events. “Although I wish we had more time, in the time that we have had I believe we have been able to create memories that will last a lifetime,” Kiley reflected.
When not working on school work or planning things for the Class of 2023, Fray enjoys playing softball which she has played with the High School for all of her four years. Fray also enjoys being President of the Feminism Club which means so much to her, as well as being involved in many outside fellowships many of which are associated with Jewish learning. As a young student in middle school, Fray was nominated to be a part of a service project, “learning how to lead and make community was majorly influential to the things I have accomplished in my High school Career,” she explained.
Reflecting on the year Fray’s only regret was not running for the council sooner. “Although it was some of the most stressful moments it resulted in the most rewarding memories,” Fray explained. “Thank you for teaching me lessons that I will carry with me forever,” said Fray as her last message to her class.
Treasurer: Allison Yu
As treasurer for the class of 2023, Allison Yu has worked hard to make this role a learning experience for herself. Yu felt as though she was “learning how to do my role, but also just learning how to work with the council members,” in order to produce the best outcomes possible. Overall Yu felt as though she had a fun time, and that she gained so much from the experience.
Outside of the classroom, Yu enjoys being involved in many school clubs for example one of her favorites the Key Club, being out in nature, biking, going on walks, exploring Boston, and just hanging out with her friends. Growing up Yu was shy but learned to step into the outgoing role she has today thanks to an older friend she met when she was younger who encouraged her to always interact with others on a personal level and make sure that she is seen.
As Yu prepares to step down from her role, and graduates she notes that she feels that she has gotten the most out of her for years here, “the connections I have built here were very fulfilling,” Yu explained. However, Yu does wish she had the opportunity to interact with her class as a whole “on a more personal level.” With one last message Yu “[hopes] everyone leads a successful and happy life,” reminds all that “we’re gonna have that ten-year reunion.”
