Name: Axel K.
School: Spring Lake Park HS
Graduation Year: 2026
STF Title: President
STF Member Since: Spring 2025
Editor’s Note: This piece was written by Geneva H., STF founder and president of the Mira Costa HS Chapter.
Axel K., a current STF President at Spring Lake Park HS, was super into policy and human rights when word got around to him about the Human Rights Watch Student Task Force (STF). To Axel, it was an easy yes when he was offered to get involved with the organization.
Since joining, Axel and his chapter have been able to accomplish a number of feats. “I’m really proud of the progress my Chapter has made in such little time. I really love the organization,” Axel said.
When he started STF, Axel wanted to make sure that he could be an effective leader. STF has led him to make great improvements in general communication skills.
Those communication skills proved essential as STFers began implementing their Student Bill of Responsibilities and Rights and encountered obstacles distributing the Taking the Temperature Survey to the entire school.
“Our school board banned the digital dissemination of student surveys through school platforms and our principal strongly discouraged asking students to take our survey during classes,” Axel shared. However, after persistent conversations with their principal, the Chapter reached a compromise to have students complete the survey during lunch periods.
Axel emphasizes that advocacy isn’t always about making an immediate impact, but creating a community of support for others to see and join. While there are more direct actions to take, such as contacting representatives, awareness itself is essential for the cause.
Personally, Axel has taken to advocacy given the local I.C.E. crackdown in Minnesota for him. Some students in his community have been too afraid to even attend classes amid recent I.C.E. crackdown. In that case, he stresses that it is extra important to show up for the classmates who can’t.
“I really want to be the person to push people to do things, especially involvement outside of school,” Axel said.
When asked what legacy Axel wants to leave behind with Spring Lake Park’s STF Chapter, Axel explained how advocacy can be approached from many levels, “…a lot of students don’t realize that they do have options. There are ways to go out in your community and get involved in humanities and get involved in policy.”
To illustrate how accessible advocacy can be, Axel continues to bring new opportunities to his classmates, through STF and beyond.