by Xavier Johnson-Mitchell
Walking into the building as an 8th grade visitor or a freshman, it can be intimidating. It can be until they are welcomed by a well-known face, one of the school representatives and student leaders, Keegan Cabrera '24.
As a student leader, someone should expect to see him help them out. Especially being a freshman in the school, he can teach the ins and outs, how to fit in, meet guys with the same interest, and edge them on to explore those differences and similarities. Getting people connected is one of his well-known passions in his position.
Leadership to him is not a new practice. Since his freshman year in 2020-21, He was followed and asked by Ms. Stephenson to be tracked across his four years in high school, along with Kyan McDonald '24, Elijah Wu '24, and Kellen Shaffer '24. They were asked to participate in the representation of the school as students because they were role models coming in, and Ms. Stephenson felt it necessary for them to be followed throughout their high school journey as they grow as both students and leaders, as people, and mature as young men in their journey at O'Dea.
Seeing everyone is one of the most vital and consistent parts in his day; however, people may not always know where to ideally find him. Don't worry, I asked this question in our interview! Anyone could see him around both inside and outside of school as they can find him around at the recruiting events for school like the admissions and open house events, and in the weight room with Coach Paynter. You can also find him on the O'Dea Instagram page as he is one of the faces of our school, meaning he is often posted and there are updates with his status as the school year progresses.
While he has a lot to look forward to in his heavily valued position, the number one thing he looks forward to is building the relationships with those around him. He likes bonding and growing closer to the people around him. Forming those bonds is important to him because those become lifelong friendships, which could be jumpstarted by these often-overlooked interactions that happen during mentor group and school events. He enjoys bringing people closer by playing games, sports, competing, and more on a daily basis. Extra emphasis on all of that, as well as making sure that everyone enjoys themselves to the fullest is key to his success in bringing crowds together, both inside and outside of the halls of O'Dea.
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