• Helen Murphy

    Student Representative, Shorewood High School

    Class of 2023

    Helen Smith

    What motivated you to become your school's student representative to the school board?

    I was motivated to apply to be my school's school board rep because over the last school year, I saw a lot of frustration among my peers, particularly pertaining to the pandemic. I found that much of this frustration stemmed from a lack of communication between the district and students, and vice versa. As the school board representative this year, I want to build a bridge between students and the board, and create a sense of collaboration between the two. Last year's student representatives created an excellent proposal on the expansion of student voice, and I am especially excited to build those new levels of student voice this year.

     

    How do you plan to represent your school's student voices to the school board this year?

    As the school board faces new challenges this year, including the budget crisis and the ongoing issues related to the pandemic, I want to ensure that student's voices and perspectives are not left out of the discussion. At Shorewood, I've already begun what I consider a very productive conversation with our student council representatives about what the budget situation means for us, and I look forward to broadening those conversations on this and other issues to the rest of the student body. I also know that there are issues my peers deeply care about, including mental health, environmental sustainability, and educational opportunities. As the student board representative, I am excited to bring the concerns of my peers to the attention of the Board.

     

    What do you hope to learn from serving as the student rep?

    As someone who has always been interested in government, I am excited to have the opportunity to learn from experience how a governmental body operates. Additionally, being the student board representative is an incredible opportunity to learn more about education, a subject I have always been passionate about. I appreciate this opportunity to learn from the members of the Board, superintendent, and other district staff, as well as to collaborate with Shorecrest's student board rep on the issues most affecting students.