No Tickets Needed: Reimagining Belonging One Circle at a Time by Jaelle

No Tickets Needed: Reimagining Belonging One Circle at a Time by Jaelle - December 2025 Scholarship Essay

The red raffle ticket in my hand was supposed to be my entry, a small symbol of belonging at my neighbor’s family party. I was a seven-year-old Black girl, a fluent Spanish speaker in a lower-income neighborhood of Greensboro, excited to celebrate with the Mexican family next door just like every Saturday evening. But, when the daughter refused me a ticket, I ran home and found one in my dollhouse, convinced it would ensure my inclusion. I was wrong.

Although I gained access to the bouncy house, once it came time to circle the birthday boy and sing Feliz Cumpleaños, their hands closed.

It was my first lesson in exclusion, and in the work of repair. It was the first time I understood how easily people are locked out of spaces meant for everyone.

That day stayed with me. Not only because of how much it hurt, but because it revealed something much larger: how division seeps into communities. As I’ve grown, I’ve dedicated myself to building the kind of inclusion and advocacy I once sought.

If I were running for student body president, my number one goal would be to ensure that no student at my school ever feels as if they’re standing outside the circle. I want to build a school culture rooted in inclusion, equity, and belonging, as a practice, not just a mission motto. No one would be left holding a symbolic ticket, wondering if it would permit their entry.

As a student of the state’s leading early college program, which is predominantly Asian and White, I’m one of few Black girls. While I've found such a beautiful community in meaningful ways, I’ve also navigated moments of invisibility and isolation, which deepened my commitment to inclusion. Among other school and community leadership roles, within Student Council I’ve served as the Senior Prom Advisor, 11th Grade Representative, Prom Committee Lead, Prom Committee Member, and as an active contributor overall. In these roles, I’ve learned that leadership isn’t just about planning events, but also reshaping who feels seen, heard, and included.

As civil rights activist James Baldwin once wrote, “the paradox of education is precisely this—that as one begins to become conscious, one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated.” Fortunately, I’ve learned that scholarship and leadership is more than just academic rigor, it’s about asking the hard questions about the world around us, daring to shape it into a better one. Scholarship also means to nurture a consciousness alongside the skills to critique, rebuild, nurture, and reshape the spaces I inhabit.

If elected student body president, I would launch a three-part initiative called No Tickets Needed: Building a School Where Everyone Belongs.

First, I would input “Train the Title.” Impactful leadership does the work instead of simply holding the position. School leaders set the tone and foster the community the most. I’d launch this inclusivity and equity training for all club officers and student leaders. These training sessions would include team bonding among members, learning how to identify signs of depression or exclusion, and learning how to embody what it means to truly lead by advocating for student needs and aiding their success. Through my work as a Youth Facilitator with the Racial Equity Institute and an ANYTOWN Ambassador, I’ve led workshops and youth-led conferences for hundreds of students across my state, challenging them to examine bias and build inclusive communities. I’ve learned the true impact of having those conversations, because often those who feel excluded may hesitate to speak up, so it’s important to create the spaces to nurture that.

Second, I would create “Circle Up” student forums. Real change begins when those students have a designated space to speak, connect, and be believed. I would create these monthly forums that would be open, student-led, and filled with conservations focused on identity, school climate, and solutions. These circles will be safe spaces for vulnerability, cultural exchange, and policy suggestions. Sometimes, the same voices tend to dominate leadership. It’d be my mission to elevate the quiet or missing, welcoming them into the circle.

Lastly, as part of this initiative I would reimagine cultural events and communication. Words matter. As a bilingual Black student who’s translated for Spanish-speaking teachers and organized cross-cultural programs, I know how quick cultural differences can invite or isolate. I’d lead the “Speak Us In” campaign to make everyone aware of the variety of beautiful cultures that surround them while fostering that cross-cultural understanding. There will be language access of materials, diverse cultural celebrations like an international festival, and consistent messaging that affirms all student identities. Belonging should never require assimilation. It should reflect who we are completely and unapologetically.

That red raffle ticket never really left my hand. It became a representation of what too many students experience: being present, but not included. No Tickets Needed is more than a slogan, it’s a promise to turn that memory into motivation.

In every leadership space I enter, I’ll ask: Who’s missing? Who’s still standing outside the circle? As student body president, I would dedicate myself to opening that circle wider until all students see themselves as vital parts of the community. No tickets would be needed, because I’d tear them up completely as no one should need a pass to feel like they belong.

Because leadership isn’t about getting in. It’s about making sure no one gets left out.