state convention

The Missouri Association of Student Councils annually holds a State Convention, hosted by the elected state president school, which brings together over 1,000 student leaders from schools throughout Missouri for a three-day convention. Highlights include nationally known speakers, student-led workshops and breakout sessions, a dance, campaigning and election of state officer schools, scholarships and recognition of Honor Council recipients. All member schools may bring six delegates and must be accompanied by an adult advisor.

2025 state convention
POPLAR BLUFF high school

77th Annual State Convention

Poplar Bluff High School
3209 Oak Grove Rd
Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

Date: March 13-15, 2025
Theme: Destination Leadership
Cost: $100 per delegate (students & advisors) for member schools

$150 per delegate (student & advisor) for non member schools

Officer Schools
President: Poplar Bluff High School
Vice President: Polo High School
2nd Vice President: Senn-Thomas School
Secretary: Excelsior Springs High School

State Convention Registration - Deadline is February 14, 2025

2025 STATE CONVENTION KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

SABRINA THOMPSON

Sabrina Thompson Mitchell is a filmmaker, photographer, activist and owner of Kuu (pronounced koo) productions, a dynamic media production company specializing in directing and producing TV commercials, short documentaries, world photography, and crafting scripted content for television. Her clients range from Google, AT&T, Warner

Discovery, The Recording Academy, Sundance to RocNation Sports along with a host of amazing clients worldwide. Sabrina's campaigns and work have been featured in/on NBC, Entertainment Tonight, The New York Times, Vogue Magazine, People Magazine and art galleries in U.S. Embassies in Australia, Rwanda & North America.

In 2007, she and three friends co-founded WEEN (Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network), a NYC-based women’s non-profit which served 80,000+ young women over a span of 15 years that focused on molding young

BIPOC women to be executives in entertainment and technology. Sabrina is a former high school teacher and former TV producer for Courtroom Television Network and Columbia TriStar syndicated talk shows.

In 2012, she went on the wildest adventure of a lifetime and appeared on SURVIVOR on CBS where she was the runner-up of the Emmy award-winning program. She served as Hillary Clinton’s cinematographer during the 2016

Presidential campaign and was the lead photographer for the historic women’s March in Washington, DC in 2017. She is a native of Wilson, NC and a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Long Island University. She spends her time between Brooklyn, NY + Houston, TX developing new TV projects and mentoring youth.

Dr. Laymon Hicks

From troubled youth to graduating high school with a 4.0 grade point average and obtaining a doctorate by the age of 29. Dr. Laymon Hicks’ story is moving, his words are empowering, and his message is practical.

Drugs. Alcohol. Violence. Stress. Depression. Add the words bullying, peer pressure and self-doubt and you’ve entered the real world drama of too many of our young people today. The passage for Dr. Laymon Hicks was not typical.

Sharing his troubled teen years, surrounded by drama, battled with feelings of abandonment, lured by peer pressure into becoming a bully to his ultimate expulsion from the National Honor Society and descent into depression, Dr. Laymon puts it all on the table. His own path, from troubled youth to graduating high school with a 4.0 grade point average to obtaining a doctorate by the age of 29.

What he calls his “frustrations, flops and faults” are hungrily devoured by his audience. And then digested. For whatever the details, from one degree to another, the pain is universal. They all know it. Now they are hungry for the outcome. The resolution. The road to redemption. And Dr. Laymon delivers.

He tells them that the real motivation comes from within. From wanting more. From needing to do better. From believing you deserve better. From “Maximize Your Moment!” From knowing “You Can!” From knowing “You’re the BOMB!”

JOEL HILCHEY

Joel is an ideas guy. His gift seems to stem from a strange combination of observation, insight, and blatant disregard for conventional thinking.

He's also a juggler (literally and figuratively). In addition to leading the Beanstalk Creative team, he maintains a busy schedule as a keynote speaker, creating unforgettable spectacles on stage. He's the father of 3 kids, 2 of whom co-habitated a uterus, and he attempts to be a good husband. Joel has authored 3 books, and he taught engineering for over a decade at McMaster University, where he was named one of the Top 150+ Alumni. He’s a seasoned barbershop quartet singer, he formerly chaired the board of the world-renowned Hamilton Children’s Choir, and he's a semi-competitive joggler (that's right... juggling whilst jogging). Learn more at joelhilchey.com

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Required Forms to Bring to State Convention

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE FORMS BELOW:

2025 State Convention Student Participant Form | Print for every Student, obtain signatures and bring to convention.
2025 State Convention Adult Participant Form | Print one for every Adult, obtain signatures and bring to convention.
2025 Health Form | Print two, obtain signatures. Advisor keeps one, one will be turned in at registration
2025 Checklist & Program Notes - (this will be posted 2/12)

2025 What happens at state & Schedule

Hotel information

We ask that you ONLY use the hotels on our list. We want to support those hotels who were willing to work with MASC and our member schools to host the students and advisors who will be attending.

Hotel List can be found by clicking HERE.

Here is basic information for you:

Each school will make their own reservations. Ask for the MO Association of Student Council Room Block to get the rates.
Here is a spreadsheet of the hotels and contact info.
MASC Districts will provide help to schools who may need assistance in finding a roomie to help with cost.
Call hotels between the hours of 9:00 – 5:00. There will be times when you will need to leave a message for the contact person at the hotel.
Please reserve ONLY the rooms/beds you need.
If paying with a school credit card, you will need to complete a Credit Card Authorization form and return it to the hotel contact. You will also need to bring a hard copy with you to check in.
You will need to email a copy of the school tax exempt form to the hotel contact.
If you need to cancel a reservation, this must be done 48 hours prior to check in.