Madison Thomas knew she wanted to “do more” in high school, but she wasn’t sure what that was going to look like at first.
She certainly figured it out. Thomas has served as class president and vice president, has given of herself through several community service projects and helped lift the morale of the student body as a whole though her many thoughtful ideas implemented in school activities.
“Going into high school, I knew I didn’t just want to go to school. I wanted to be a part of things,” Thomas said. “So, toward the end of my sophomore year, I decided to run for vice president … with the student council, we planned pep rallies and spirit week, and it all helped me understand my ‘why’ of doing student council.”
Her ‘why’ was simply that she wanted high school to be a fun place for students.
“I believe in order for us to be driven academically, we also need to have some kind of fun,” Thomas said.
One thing she’s proudest of during her time at Hahnville was watching the pep rallies that she and her classmates planned spring to life and evolve over the course of her senior year.
“This year, we had more than we had in the past … and just seeing the enthusiasm and morale in our school going up. Those were a great way to recognize students who were achieving things in athletics and in clubs, and we got to really celebrate our classmates and our school,” Thomas said.
She also helped coordinate a giveaway for students in need of dresses for prom, ring night or other events.
When she decided to step up to run for class president, it led to an experience she believes helped her grow as a person.
“You just never know in life – that became one of the best decisions I could have made for myself,” Thomas said. “I learned a lot and grew a lot. It taught me different ways to lead people and I got to work with a lot of great people as well.
“The relationships I formed with classmates and the faculty … you can go to school, learn and work, but those interactions with people make it so much better. I was lucky to have teachers who made learning enjoyable and fun and pushed you to achieve your goals. And I had classmates who truly made learning fun.”
She says she’ll miss that community as she moves forward to the University of Louisiana, where she plans to study chemical engineering.
That was a path she decided to embark on after participating in the Dow Leadership Academy, as well as talking with the engineers in her family.
“That gave me some insight into what happens in refineries and what a refinery does … I’ve been pretty successful with math and science and honestly, it’s cool and interesting what engineering does. It’s figuring out ways to better our everyday lives. And that played a role in what I wanted for my future career – to help people,” Thomas said.
