FHS ‘leader’ Brennen joins ERC
Known for her “leadership,” which has “contributed to successful activities” at Farragut High School, a declared future candidate for student body president has been chosen by Farragut Education Relations Committee as its newest youth representative.
ERC members made the choice of Hannah Brennen, a junior, official during its monthly meeting Monday, Nov. 9.
She joins fellow FHS representative Claudia Levi, who is serving her second year. Both are non-voting representatives.
A friend who is a representative on the Stormwater Advisory Committee introduced Brennen, daughter of Kanako and Gene Brennen, to the opportunity.
“It was so nice, and I’m so happy that the (Parent-Teacher Organization) members of every respective (Farragut public) school are involved,” she said. “I think it makes change a lot more eminent in the schools, and it makes collaboration a lot easier as well.”
Brennen will fill a two-year term on the committee.
“I hope to make an impact on my school/community, whether my peers know the changes implemented were a result of my actions or not,” she stated in her application.
Brennan said she would seek to become FHS student body president her senior year. Currently, she is class officer and a member of FHS Student Government Association.
“Her leadership has contributed to successful activities like the Can Drive for Knoxville’s Love Kitchen, Farragut High’s Open Mic Night and Teacher Appreciation Week,” FHS social studies teacher Angela Breeding stated in a recommendation letter. “She also demonstrates her love of her school by driving other students to actively participate in the FHS Homecoming Week activities.
“She is a vital member of her student community and is loved by her many teachers and sponsors,” Breeding added.
The teacher stated Brennen “has all the qualities of an ideal student.
“The academic programs at Farragut High School are quite rigorous,” Breeding added. “Over the past year I have gotten to know Hannah well, and she has consistently demonstrated her ability to meet any academic challenge.
“…Everyday I was overwhelmed by this young lady’s intelligence, insight, leadership and passion.”
After high school, Brennen plans to pursue a career as an orthodontist.
The FHS junior said her first meeting “went so smoothly, and I’m just excited to see all our ideas come together.”
ERC changes
However, Alisha Soni, the previous representative, told Brennen of earlier difficulty of schools collaborating on activities through ERC.
This Committee had undergone a number of revisions since it initially was formed in 2009. Vice Mayor Louise Povlin, who is the Board of Mayor and Aldermen representative on ERC, spearheaded many of the changes.
Povlin said she had always been frustrated with its effectiveness. As such, she worked on reforms, which most recently included adding a representative from each of the four Farragut public schools to sit on the committee.
She also requested BOMA change the ERC charter, allowing for the three additional committee members — which will come from Farragut’s private schools, but have yet to be chosen as non-voting reps.
With many school events being pushed back to March 2021, ERC members realized collaboration is necessary.
“That’s one of the goals ... to allow representatives of each of these schools to coordinate their calendars so that we’re not having events on the same day or the same weekend,” Povlin said during an interview.
“They are all drawing from the same general population, and they all need to fundraise for their individual schools, so some kind of coordination between them would help all their fundraisers be successful.”
