When Caroline Benjamin, the new director of student activities, walked into her office for her first day on the job, there’s no question she felt it was a great day to be a Viking. With big plans for the 2013-2014 school year, Benjamin is pumped up and ready to rumble.
Benjamin first found herself at the home of the Vikings six years ago, when she took a student teaching job in the special education department. Though her stay there was short lived, the soon-to-be director hoped she would return to North for a full time position. In 2012, when students started asking around for an instructor to teach yoga as a part of Niles North’s yoga club, Benjamin jumped at the opportunity, as she had been working with CorePower Yoga while teaching elsewhere.
The rest is history according to Benjamin, who once again began working in the special education department shortly after. “I also got really involved with both international and Assyrian club,” Benjamin said, which contributed to her growing experience in student activities. “I wanted to understand how I could reach our diverse culture.”
Diversity will be a key factor in Benjamin’s 2013-2014 agenda as director of student activities. “We want to figure out how to make this environment so that every student, regardless of race, religion, ability, who they are or where they come from, feels like they have a place at our school,” Benjamin said.
With that goal in mind, the new director gears up for our first pep assembly with big plans in mind. “Our assemblies should be a way to celebrate what it means to be a part of Niles North, who we are, our values, our differences and how we can still stay united.”
And what’s better than a school spirit stick to bring us together? According to Benjamin, a new spirit stick will be presented at the fall assembly – and it must be one awesome spirit stick because the project took three years!
If you’re interested in helping out with the pep assembly or want to get more involved, stop by the student activities office. Let’s make this year the most spirited one yet!
Go Vikings!
P.S. We are ONE!
