Frania Lopez knows firsthand what it is like to deal with the complexities of being a student in need of support.
Lopez said she experienced bullying and academic pressure while attending school in the Los Angeles Unified School District and that when reaching out for support, she was denied.
Now, as a senior at Jordan High School, Lopez is determined to bring positive change to the Long Beach Unified School District through her involvement with student leadership.
She is a part of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee and the lead ambassador for Jordan High School’s Media and Communication pathway. Most recently, she applied to become LBUSD’s first-ever student board member.
“I wish to bring more support for the future of LBUSD students because our mental health is really important,” Lopez said.
The LBUSD board passed a policy back in September to create a more permanent and involved role for students by appointing a seated student board member. The selected student would attend board meetings alongside the rest of the board, learn about the process of civic engagement and essentially represent the 67,000 students in LBUSD.
Lopez is one of five finalists for the position, chosen by superintendent Jill Baker and board president Diana Craighead out of a pool of over 20 applicants.
Lili Leikam, a Lakewood High School senior, first heard about the position through her school’s activities director and instantly applied. Leikam described herself as an action-driven individual and said she applied because she cares about her school community. She sees this position as an opportunity to address issues that prevent students from reaching their full potential.
”I am simply incapable of observing issues and complaining about them without offering or being part of a solution,” Leikam said.
Giving back to the community is also why Sasha Johnson, a junior at Polytechnic High School, “jumped” at the opportunity to apply. Jonson is the peer-elected student representative at Poly’s School Site Council—a group of teachers, parents and administrators that overlook how schools spend federal funds.
“[In School Site Council] I’m really able to see the importance of having that student voice in a leadership council, whether it’s in balancing a budget or implementing new educational initiatives,” Johnson said. “I find that it is crucial that we have that student input going into decisions that affect the student body.”
Two students from the California Academy of Mathematics and Science (CAMS) were among the finalists.
CAMS sophomore Corey Umamoto said he has always been interested in student leadership.
“I want to voice the opinions and concerns of various topics at the board meetings,” Umamoto said. “This responsibility will help me expand my leadership skills beyond what I have ever done before.”
For CAMS junior Parishi Jain, the thought of being the sole representative of all 67,000 LBUSD students district-wide is “terrifying, but nonetheless, exciting.” She said her experience in different events and school clubs has allowed her to meet diverse types of people and represent them.
“As a student board member, I would like to bring my unique perspective on the challenges the students are facing in this district. I am determined to enhance the quality of the learning experience,” Jain said.
The student board member will be selected over the coming weeks and can begin their work as early as March.
