Homecoming Court Nominees (Girls)

Aditi Amlani

Smoke Signal: How did you feel when you were nominated? Were you surprised?
Aditi Amlani: Truthfully, I didn’t hear my name because of all the cheers during the Senior Hottie announcements. But after I found out, I felt honored!

SS: Did you ever imagine yourself being nominated during your freshman year?
AA: Why yes, of course! I’ve imagined it ever since that fateful day my brother was crowned. Dreams do come true! Haha kidding. I seriously would have never thought so because all the past nominees have been so insanely awesome.

SS: What’s your favorite thing about Mission?
AA: Mission honestly feels so homely to me! Everyone is just so nice! Whether it’s meeting new people, or getting super involved in whatever we’re passionate about, I think Mission students really go above and
beyond. And not gonna lie, our homecoming is kind of boss.

SS: What’s your favorite memory of high school?
AA: Speaking of homecoming, I’ve probably had some of my most amazing memories from that. The homecoming weeks themselves have obviously been great, but more than that it’s the process of preparation. From the many meetings and rehearsals with our class throughout the years, I have countless anxious/nervous/excited/freaking out/funny memories that I will never forget. Plus much more!

SS: What is some advice you can give for people who aspire to be HC court nominees?
AA: Hmm I guess, do what you love, love what you do!

Maggie Chang

Smoke Signal: How did you feel when you were voted? Were you surprised?
Maggie Chang: I was kind of embarrassed because there were people coming up to me saying congratulations as if I won some big prize haha. Yeah I was a bit surprised, I didn’t think that enough underclassmen knew me.

SS: Did you ever imagine yourself being nominated during your freshman year?
MC: Not even close haha. I never would have even imagined myself as a senior when i was a freshman!

SS: What’s your favorite thing about Mission?
MC: Homecoming definitely! I’ve shed blood sweat and tears for it every single year since freshman year. I’m so proud of our school for having the best homecoming activities.

SS: What’s your favorite memory of high school?
MC: I would have to say on Junior day last year. We pulled through so many obstacles to get to that day and we put on such a spectacular show. We might not have placed as well as we would have wished, but I was still extremely proud of my class for all that they’ve done.

Ashlyn Iwatani

Smoke Signal: How did you feel when you were nominated? Were you surprised?
Ashlyn Iwatani: I was EXTREMELY surprised! The day the court and senior hotties were announced I was actually at home… So I had a bunch of people texting me “Congrats!” once school ended and I had no idea what any of them were talking about!  When I figured it all out, I was at first extremely confused and then eventually honored to be nominated.

SS: Did you ever imagine yourself being nominated during your freshman year?
AI: Nah, I really had no idea what homecoming was when I was a freshman. All I knew about homecoming was what I saw in those stereotypical high school movies! But of course every little girl aspires to be a queen at one point or another in
her life.

SS: What’s your favorite thing about Mission?
AI: I love the people at Mission! Every high school takes on a different environment based on the kinds of students that attend, and I really love the sense of community and the strong morals that are held here.

SS: What’s your favorite memory of high school?
AI: When I look back at high school ten or twenty years from now, I know for sure every homecoming and multicultural week I have experienced will be the first things that come to mind. Hopefully my senior year will be full of even more unforgettable moments!

SS: What do you enjoy doing outside of your school activities?
AI:I love hanging out with my friends!! When we are together, watch out world! We sometimes do the most random things ever… but hey! It’s quite entertaining; especially if there’s nothing else to do in Fremont.

SS: What is some advice you can give for people who aspire to be HC court nominees?
AI: Just be as involved as you possibly can be with school events and what not! I honestly don’t know anyone who really has “be a homecoming court nominee” as a goal or dream, and I think that’s a good thing. Being nominated is more of an honor that just comes with hard work and dedication to helping out the school. When others see how committed and genuine you are, becoming a nominee comes naturally. Oh and wearing a tiara to Junior Prom won’t hurt your chances either.

SS: Do you have a message for all your voters?
AI: Not really. Gaha I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say here.

Theresa Liu

Smoke Signal: How did you feel when you were nominated? Were you surprised?
Theresa Liu: I was happy when I was nominated because it was a nice feeling to know that students recognize my involvement within the school. I’m sure all of the other homecoming court nominees felt the same way because we all contribute as much as we can to our school.

SS: Did you ever imagine yourself being nominated during your freshman year?
TL: No, not at all! I always felt that people who were nominated were really outgoing and I never thought that I would be nominated. I’m definitely more on the quiet side compared to the rest of the nominees.

SS: What do you enjoy doing outside of your school activities?
TL: Outside of school, I enjoy going for runs around Lake Elizabeth, working out at Clubsport, or playing badminton. I really love working on ASB-related stuff though and it’s not uncommon for the ASB officers to have late-night meetings a lot. I also really like volunteering through Key Club events.

SS: What is some advice you can give for people who aspire to be HC court nominees?
TL: Get involved with your school! Mission offers SO MUCH to its students and I wish more people would realize that. I know that Mission is very academically focused, but there are so many clubs, school organizations and leadership events available to the student body that there is definitely something for a student to be interested in. Find what you’re interested in, dedicate your time to it, and I’m sure people will see how dedicated you are.

Emily Sutedja

Smoke Signal: How did you feel when you were nominated? Were you surprised?
Emily Sutedja: I was really flattered when I was voted in. I didn’t think I’d get in court, because we have some really hard working girls in our class. I feel like a lot of of the organizations at Mission are run by senior Girls. For example, Alyson and Mika in Yearbook, Elisa and Alissa for the Smoke Signal, and you for Key Club, so I was genuinely surprised.

SS: What’s your favorite memory of high school?
ES: My favorite memory of high school…Wow, this makes me so sad. It makes me feel like I’m graduating already.

My favorite memory is probably the time I have spent with my friends, I now have an AMAZING group of friends who are really carefree, relaxed, and just pure fun. And it’s just really nice that when I take a break from my stressful busy life, and I get to hang out with my friends, they’re just so fun and playful.

And of course Homecoming is an amazing experience. I’ve loved homecoming ever since I heard about it. Every year in high school, I made sure to get more and more involved. I just LOVE the adrenaline and all the crazy, buzzing energy during homecoming week. Of course, being a class officer is such hard work but it’s SO rewarding to be such a huge part of my last homecoming ever.

Oh my gosh! Being elected into class office was super amazing. It’s been a very long 6 years since I ran for President back in 7th grade. 4 campaigns later, I’m Senior Class Secretary :] Two of my favorite events at MSJ are also Homecoming and Winterball. Boys at Mission go ALL OUT. I love watching all the cutesy askings and all the girls with flowers who get dressed up for a formal event and what not. Winterball season is seriously one of my favorite times of the year

Ah, and Leadership 2! Leadership 2 means so much to me. I’ve learned so much about myself and my capabilities as a leader and person. I’ve learned about how I work under stress and pressure and just gained so much.

SS: What do you enjoy doing outside of your school activities?
ES: Outside school…Well…hm, I’m not sure if you mean what I do outside of school or what I like to do for fun. I am a Girl Scout and I LOVE selling cookies. I’m also in SURFBoardE, which is a student representative group for all high schools in FUSD for the board of education. I also work at Mill Creek Academy and am a Top Dawg in Link Crew.

Here are some things that I like to do with my friends: bake, board games, eating, watching Friends, taking naps. But mainly, I really value the time I get to spend with my friends and family, just because I am so busy all the time. It’s always nice to just sit back, relax, and just hang out.

SS: What is some advice you can give for people who aspire to be HC court nominees?
ES: This really goes for any big organization at Mission (L2, Smoke Signal, Yearbook, Peer Resource, etc) and it indirectly ties into HC Court, but just get involved. Don’t be afraid to ask people if they need help or if you can help set up for a dance or something. You just need to take initiative and email someone in L2 or Peer Resource and askfor help and advice. Introduce yourself to people and NETWORK. I promise that almost everyone in those big organizations will be more than happy to help you out. For example, in November I’m taking a freshman out to lunch because he wants to know more about class office and such because he wants to become an officer. Isn’t that cute?

SS: Do you have a message for all your voters?
ES: Just thank you for everyone who voted for me! Good luck to all the classes during HC week and to the Football Boys!