The North Penn School Board meets once every month and a lot of effort goes into these meetings to ensure that the school district stays safe and stimulating. But how do the adults know what to change or add if they are not attending the school themselves? That is where the School Board Student Representatives step up. 

There are five School Board committees at North Penn, each with their own specific tasks. For the representatives, two students are assigned per committee: Celia Francois ‘27 and Malachi Nisbett ‘27 on the ECI committee; Aminah Alamari ‘27 and Srijani Saha ‘27 on the Policy committee; Cassasdra Kim ‘27 and Audery McCartney ‘27 on the Facilities and Operations committee; Grace Jiao ‘26 and Thomas Judge ‘26 on the Safe Schools committee; and Robel Kassahun ‘27 and Harshitha Yanamandra ‘26 on the Finance committee.

These ten students were selected to represent their school because of their obvious passion in enhancing their school district to be the best version. Some of the students applied for the board position because they want to shed light on the importance of unity and student expression in North Penn. 

“I chose to apply because I care about making our school, our community, and our environment better for everyone,” Nisbett explained. “[To make sure] that North Penn isn’t only treating everyone with equality but with equity as well.” 

“I’ve always cared about student voices being taken seriously, and I’ve even emailed senators and local leaders before about issues that matter to me,” Francois stated. 

“There’s a good amount of both Muslim students and Arab students that need to be represented to the board, and I wanted to be that representation,” Alamari acknowledged. 

Others wanted to be student representatives for the opportunities the position entails. 

“I had an amazing opportunity to design a rain garden for the high school renovations. I really enjoyed working on that process and meeting the people involved,” McCartney said. “I want to continue to help make a difference at North Penn.”

“I am aiming to attend the US Services academies and have a career in either the military or as a first responder. Helping people is always what I’ve wanted to do,” Judge conveyed. “Whether that is from my help as a volunteer firefighter, going to community events to help out, or just mowing the lawn for the neighbor. I have the ability to help, and I want to use it.”

For the representatives, the ability to see how School Board meetings are run as well as contributing to lasting decisions is a unique, character building experience. 

“It’s an eye-opening experience to see how much thought and collaboration go into policies that shape our education and our daily lives at school,” Jiao remarked. 

“I like that I have a voice in the decisions that are made for our district,” Saha stated. 

“Being on the school board gives me the opportunity to connect with adults looking to make our school a better place,” Alamari explained. “In the past, it was adults making decisions, but now students have a seat in that room.”

Since the representatives are assigned to different committees, their jobs may look different, however their main goal remains the same: strengthen the community of North Penn by representing their student body. 

“My committee, in particular, Facilities & Operations, especially values student input and is always looking for ways to improve the high school, especially during renovations,” Kim said.  “As a student rep, I mainly listen and take notes on meetings, asking questions when necessary.” 

“My main tasks include attending board meetings, voicing student opinions and concerns, providing feedback on school policies, and helping to communicate board school policies back to the student body,” Kassahun explained. 

“In addition to attending all policy committee meetings, my main job is to highlight what are called ‘student reports,’” Saha commented. “Essentially, I am tasked with discovering the policy-related issues that are of most concern to students and evaluating the best way to deliver those concerns at meetings.”

“I communicate with classmates and student leaders to gather feedback and bring these perspectives to the Board,” Jiao conveyed. “My main job is to listen to the students’ voices and perspectives around me and convey them to district leaders to improve the school and district.”

Although the year has just begun, the new representatives are excited to attend their first meetings and launch their prominent plans into action. 

“I have a few ideas surrounding environmental sustainability. I am a member of the Green Schools Campaign and I would like to bring those ideas to the meetings,” McCartney pronounced.

“I would love to review the current grading policy and see if there’s any revisions or changes that could be made to improve it,” Francois said.

“I would like to focus on initiatives that increase transparency in how school resources are allocated,” Kassahun stated. “I’m also interested in supporting programs that enhance student engagement and overall well-being.”

After experiencing the application process for themselves, the students have advice for others potentially interested in applying for the position next year. 

“Not only is this a great opportunity to build your resume and network, but it is an opportunity to build self-confidence, leadership skills, and plenty of soft skills that you need for life,” Nisbett remarked. 

“Being included in a committee will get you thinking [about] how you [can] use your positions to express concerns and raise awareness,” Judge explained. “It’s a very big responsibility to uphold, but when you are able to show your concern in a topic that is being discussed, it makes you more prone to involving yourself, asking questions, and contributing your experiences as a student at North Penn.”

“I would tell students wanting to apply to be genuine in their applications,” Kim stated. “The truth is that the Board isn’t looking for perfect students; they’re looking for active members of the North Penn ecosystem that care about the welfare of other students and show an interest in making North Penn a better place.”

It is not a simple task to be the voice of the North Penn students when it comes to tackling issues surrounding the district in a room filled with adults. However, these ten students have risen to the challenge and are more than ready to step up and represent their school to evoke developments that will have a lasting impact on North Penn history.