Chapin, Irmo to Host Southern Student Leadership Conferences

CHAPIN, S.C. — Chapin High School will host the 2027 annual conference of the Southern Association of Student Councils, and Irmo High School will take its turn as host in 2028, putting the region’s top student leadership gathering in Lexington-Richland School District Five for two straight years.

The district shared the results on Oct. 19. Two Chapin High students, both juniors, won election as the student representatives for the association’s President School, the role that comes with hosting the next conference. Their campaign borrowed a Top Gun theme and ran under the motto Taking Leadership to New Heights.

In a written statement released by the district, the two Chapin students said they were honored to represent their school as association presidents and pointed to Chapin’s long record of leadership and school spirit. They said they want the 2027 gathering to push visiting students to grow as leaders. The school’s student government adviser credited the students and the full council for their effort and called the chance to welcome student leaders from around the South a special moment for the school.

Irmo High was picked as the President-Elect School, which lines it up to host in 2028. Two Irmo sophomores will represent the school after a campaign built around NASA and space exploration, with the motto Mission to Lead.

The Irmo students said they plan to watch how Chapin runs its conference next year so they are ready to show off their own campus in 2028. Irmo’s student council adviser praised the delegation, the council and the wider school community for backing the campaign, and said two years of preparation plus Chapin’s example leave him confident about the 2028 event.

This marks the first time in the association’s history that the same district has been chosen for the President School role in back-to-back years. District Five said the result reflects the work its student leaders, advisers and school communities have put into building strong student government programs.

Both schools also came home with awards. Chapin High won two, including first place in School Spirit, while Irmo High finished first in both the Academic Incentive and School Service categories.

The Southern Association of Student Councils dates to 1932 and draws student leaders and advisers from 15 Southern states to swap ideas, sharpen leadership skills and recognize standout student government programs. Hosting the yearly conference gives a school the chance to show off its community while welcoming students from across the region.

Filed under: Chapin SC Education News