Julia Huffstutter
What did your time in WHEU mean to you?
My 4 years in WHEU were a time of personal growth and allowed me to make life-long friends. I attended Catholic school from kindergarten through 8th. I knew everyone there, and they knew me. I transferred to West for high school, and didn't know anyone. I had to break into friendships forged over many years at Bert Lynn or Jefferson. WHEU allowed me to make lasting friends in both band and color guard. As a junior, I was an Assistant Section Leader for the trumpets, and senior year, I was the Brass Captain. I memorized all the new students' names by Day 2 of summer band camp. I connected with students of all levels and always tried to be inclusive. I met many people and had unforgettable experiences at practices, comps, and marching at Disneyland. I know I made a difference by improving my sections and the whole of WHEU. We increased our scores over the season in the two years I was in leadership, and now, in my senior year, I can say that we, the trumpet section, are no longer seen only as the "problem" section.
What have you contributed to WHEU and how have those contributions supported/improved the overall experience for all of its members?
As Assistant Trumpet section leader and Brass Captain, I spent many hours outside of school planning the fall shows and practices. I helped lead zero periods, Monday night practices, and all warmups. I worked on improving the performance of my section and all of Brass. I administered basic first aid to injured students at both band camp and Monday night rehearsals by coaching the dehydrated ones to sip water, getting the first aid kit to help tend to the student with the bloody knee, and providing comfort to the freshman with the dislocated knee, sitting with her until the paramedics arrived. I am also a Girl Scout and have spent over 80 hours organizing the band shed as part of my Gold Award project. I have coordinated with Mr. Banim, Ms. Orabuena, Mrs. Eriksen, WHEUPA leaders and coaches, and WHS Maintenance. When I'm finished, the area will be an organized and safe space for students and fundraising parents to access equipment. In addition to organizing, I am also documenting first aid tips, which will be posted to the Band app so all parents and students can reference them.
What have you learned from being a member of WHEU and how will you apply those lessons to your future endeavors?
I learned leadership doesn't mean shouting commands or snapping my fingers to achieve the desired outcome. As an assistant section leader and then as Brass Captain, I watched senior leaders demand improvement, insist upon perfection, and not tolerate any discussion. But we're not in the Army, and they're not drill sergeants. I learned how to work around senior leaders, to soften the blow of their commands. I did this by trying to understand the students' limitations and needs. Then I used them to find what motivates them. Not everyone was as skilled or dedicated to perfection as the Drum Major was. I encouraged everyone to participate and have fun. I still set expectations, but I used empathy to reach each student in my section, meet them where they were, and then try to improve their position. When I saw people struggle with choreo, I pulled them aside and helped them individually learn the moves. I intervened for the student who couldn't repeatedly perform the physical moves due to his high blood pressure. I will continue practicing empathy in my work and home life, as that is a critical skill required for success.
