Our Stories

by  Lesley C. , Blair High School ‘26

I sit on the couch as I reflect on the last day of my summer internship and my last few months of serving on the Student Council. Looking around the room, students are huddled in groups, voices buzzing with ideas. Small hands sketch plans across large sheets of poster paper that never seem big enough. The walls of PEF’s room 144 at PUSD’s Ed Center are plastered with colorful posters mapping our projects, all evidence of weeks of dreaming and planning. Laughter fills the air, never slowing the pace of the work, as Ms. Sehba, our facilitator, moves among them, offering quiet but invaluable support and guidance. It’s a scene that reminds me why I joined the Student Assembly/Council (SAC) in the first place and how this experience has shaped me far beyond what I expected.

In fall 2023, when I scanned the QR code on a stray flyer from the floor of my English class, I never expected it to lead me to one of the most transformative and meaningful experiences of my high school career. That QR code was an application for the newly formed Student Assembly/Council. Not knowing what that entailed, I signed with only the words “Be the Change” in the application as my motivation.

After running and winning the election, I was sworn in at my first Board Meeting in my raggedy old jeans and socks with sandals, surrounded by adults in suits and fitted button-ups. To my left sat JP, another student assembly member in a T-shirt and shorts. When I mouthed, “What’s happening?” He gave me a look that said, “I have no idea either.” In that moment, I felt seen and somehow less alone.

As I continued on this undefined journey, I learned more about our responsibilities. After Ms. Sehba told me about our role in the district, it wasn’t until my first voting meeting that I realized the weight that role holds. For each action item, the SAC member has a preferential vote, a decision that has no enforceable power but holds an immense weight in how it shows adult board members that we, the students, care and are capable of understanding decisions that affect us. For most of us, that meeting was the first time we even looked at a board meeting agenda, and for me, I couldn’t even comprehend what half of the words meant. Thankfully, we had members of all parts of the district, from the then Board President Kenne, to the chief academic officer Dr. Chan Hill, to the head of LCAP Dr. Turley, and later on, UTP President Mr. Gardner, and so many more to name, to carefully explain each word. When I realized that so many people from so many parts of the district were taking the time to break down the information for us, I knew we must have been a part of something revolutionary. That meeting felt like jumping into the deep end of a pool fully clothed, not knowing how to swim. But my peers and the supportive adults around me didn’t let me sink; they helped me find my footing. They shared information generously and patiently, trusting us to form our own decisions. We cast our collective vote through thoughtful research, active discussion, and a genuine desire to represent our peers with integrity.

I didn’t realize it then, but small moments like these defined my entire experience in the Student Assembly/Council. Whether it was an encouraging sticky note passed from an adult board member while sitting at the dias, sharing a simple pizza (from Dr. Blanco’s office) with my fellow SAC members over a complicated agenda, or the mindless off topic conversations at late night virtual meetings, it was in the seemingly insignificant interactions, the casual conversations, the inside jokes, the way adults genuinely listened, I saw the heart of youth leadership.

I will be forever grateful for the endless days filled with endless meetings as they have taught me more than any classroom ever could. But truthfully, it was the quiet actions that said: we are human, we are in this together, we share the same mission, let’s move forward together, that made my experience truly meaningful. In this space, we weren’t just advocating for our peers; we were also building a real sense of community, with each other, and with the adults who believed in us.

Lesley C. (she/her,  Blair High School ‘26) has been on the Student Assembly/Council (SAC) since her sophomore year and was a part of the inaugural batch of SAC members. Through the SAC, Lesley has grown into a voice of progress and a leader of change, learning how to advocate for students while working collaboratively with peers and adults alike. She hopes to apply these skills in a career in public policy and education in the future.