Ira Zhusti Sparking Change at SHS with Saturn App

A new online tool has dramatically improved students’ ability to view and organize their unique schedules: The Saturn app came to the attention of many SHS students through junior Ira Zhusti, who introduced it to her friends and classmates.

Now used by hundreds of students, Saturn is a colorful application that personalizes schedules and shows the time, class, location, and classmates for each individual. Students can friend each other, chat with each other, and even wish each other a happy birthday. This is a simple way to ask school-related questions or concerns without the presence of teachers, which can be overwhelming for some students.

SHS junior Jess Daniels is a “huge fan” of the app: “Before Saturn, everything was so confusing. I always had to check Aspen, but the schedule is still difficult to see.”

It gets more complicated with students new to Scituate, like Sophia Hanna, who moved here from New Jersey and now has to juggle making new friends while adjusting to her classes. According to Hanna, “Being a new student is already nerve-racking,” but she finds Saturn “extremely helpful” as she organizes the school days in her new environment. (Students can see their schedules for weeks in advance and view when their classes start and end by opening the app.)

Zhusti was instrumental in the appearance of the Saturn app at Scituate. Noting she couldn’t have done it without the help of Camryn, a Saturn ambassador looking to recruit students from Scituate. Through Instagram, Camryn discussed the concept of the Saturn app, and Zhusti quickly became intrigued, as she too struggled with checking Aspen every hour. Zhusti now had the responsibility of recruiting a body of ambassadors to promote the app. Although it was challenging at times, with the help of junior Devyn Trayers, the app was successfully launched.

“Another challenge was reaching out to people and asking them to download the app so it would be successful–but like me, people really liked the idea,” Zhusti explained.

In addition to her involvement in several different school clubs, like SHS Anti-Racism, Principal’s Advisory Council, Amnesty International, and many more, Zhusti enjoyed the unique task of pitching a brand new idea to hundreds of students. According to Zhusti, this role helped cultivate a stronger relationship with the SHS administration and faculty. “I can go to them about anything and talk freely,” Zhusti noted.