Carlmont’s Associated Student Body (ASB) is known for the events it puts on, the tickets it sells, and the spirit it has, all of which involve moving money around. That’s where the ASB’s Finance commission comes into play.
Along with sophomores Nicholas Voong and Isabella Peterson, supervisor Jackson Tam, a senior, organizes the funds that pay for the various activities and services that ASB offers.
ASB has several commissions that serve different purposes. For example, the Do Something commission inspires social change at Carlmont, and the Dance commission organizes the dances that Carlmont has throughout the year. Likewise, the finance commission keeps track of all of ASB’s expenses.
“Finance commissioners collect and deposit all of the money that comes into the ASB account,” said Jim Kelly, the ASB adviser. “They collect it, organize it, keep financial records of it, deposit it properly, and they are the people who are the first line of accounting for the expenses that come out of the ASB account. They also help to create and maintain our annual ASB budget.”
The Finance commission is ASB’s “first line of customer service,” making sure all transactions with students go smoothly. They are in charge of selling everything from tickets to dances and football games to holiday grams.
“We sell during the football game, so it gives other people opportunities to go have fun,” Voong said.
In addition to their duties, members of the commission promote a friendly environment between them and their customers.
“I really like hanging out at the games and selling, but I also like to interact with all of my friends or all of the people going into the game because that teaches me good people skills,” Peterson said.
Not only does the Finance commission provide an opportunity to contribute to the school and have fun, but it is also a learning experience. Peterson and Voong are both in their first year of ASB and are already learning the ins and outs of handling finances.
“I didn’t really know a lot [about finance], but I was open to learning and I feel like I’ve learned a lot in the past two months of school,” Peterson said.
For Tam, being in the Finance commission is like having a job. As he describes it, the responsibilities and skills required to be in the commission are similar to those of accounting. This opportunity could prove beneficial to the commissioners, as it allows them to gain real-world experience and explore a possible career path.
