David Siahaan ’27 (left) and Minnie Kim ’27 (right) during the Co-Presidential Debate.
David Siahaan ’27 and Minnie Kim ’27 were elected to serve as 2026-2027 Student Body Co-Presidents following the final Co-Presidential Debate at All-School Meeting on March 27. Throughout Spring Term and over the summer, 2025-2026 Co-Presidents Gracie Aziabor ’26 and Philip Meng ’26 will help the pair transition into their roles.
Siahaan and Kim’s campaign focused on four initiatives: opt-in formal Community Suppers; a surprise Head of School festival; Community Conversations, a forum for student dialogue with campus adults; and event punch cards. Kim expressed her excitement about starting work on Community Suppers, and Siahaan pointed to the event punch card initiative as especially meaningful to him.
“I really hope that there will be some meaningful change as quickly as possible. We really hope that [we’ll be] seeing that uptick in attendance and uptick in people showing up for each other. What I’m most excited to see is walking into a volleyball game or wrestling meet or a musical and seeing more and more people coming in,” said Siahaan.
Having served as Class Representatives together for the past two years, Kim reflected on the strength of her and Siahaan’s partnership and the support they provided each other throughout their campaign.
“There’s no one I’d rather have run with, no matter the outcome. I’m just so happy David and I have been able to do this entire process together. We have been so supportive of one another, and I truly am so proud of both of us. Before every single round of voting, I was so stressed. I would call David, and he would have to help calm me down. This entire process, just putting yourself out there, [is] so scary, but also it’s so rewarding at the same time,” said Kim.
Aziabor pointed to Siahaan and Kim’s messaging at the Co-Presidential Debate and the practicality of their proposals as strengths of their campaign.
“For me, a highlight was their opening speech. The way they phrased it around their biggest fears as Andover students was really creative, and it was a really compelling way to talk about their hopes for the presidency. This year in general, we’ve tried to really focus on having these candidates come up with ideas that we really think they could get through and be feasible. David and Minnie were the epitome of that. They worked really hard to come up with things that they thought were still fun and still needed for the student body, but also things that they could very well get through,” said Aziabor.
Meng highlighted initiatives in the pair’s platform that he particularly appreciated.
“In terms of their platform, I’m excited about the idea of the [event] punch cards because I think that [it has] a lot of potential for increasing the amount of spirit at school. I also think that the other initiatives, such as the Head of School festival or the Community Conversations, are great measures to increase the amount of connection that we get on campus, which is becoming increasingly important,” said Meng.
Before officially assuming the role in the fall, Siahaan and Kim will undergo a transition period alongside the current Co-Presidents, meeting with administrators and being involved in student leadership processes. Reflecting on their tenure, Meng encouraged Siahaan and Kim to begin outreach and planning to implement their initiatives, while Aziabor emphasized the importance of staying grounded in their original motivations.
“One piece of advice is don’t forget the main reason as to why you signed up for this in the first place. [David and Minnie] are really driven people, but they’re also really kind and really welcoming, and that’s one of the most compelling parts of their partnership. They should remember that, at their core, what they really cared about was connecting the Andover student body and connecting people together. They should never lose sight of that,” said Aziabor.
Kim and Siahaan expressed gratitude towards the Andover community for their trust in the pair’s leadership and shared their enthusiasm for assuming their roles.
“The hardest part is putting yourself out there and just having faith in the people that they will choose who they believe will work for them and who can get things done. I’m just so proud Andover has decided to trust us… to follow through with our initiatives [and] represent this entire school. We can’t wait to get started,” said Kim.
Siahaan added, “I still want to be the person people can walk up to. I still want to be the person that says hi to people on the paths. I don’t think any of that will change. I’m still going to be positive [and] enthusiastic, and hopefully spread that joy to the rest of Andover.”
Editor’s Note: David Siahaan is a Sports Editor for The Phillipian.
