By Mya H. (they/them)
Pasadena High School ‘23
Having just graduated from Pasadena City College in June, I feel that it’s fitting that “The Learning Curve” should begin its next chapter at the same time. This book was five years in the making, and all of us have put everything into making this book possible. My heart is full holding a physical copy in my hands; a manifestation of our efforts.
Read about TLC’s book launch here! To purchase a copy, please visit Octavia’s Bookshelf or call PEF (626) 396-3625.
My footsteps echoed in the hallway of a school that I had never been to before, the place feeling oddly familiar. It was early, and I was slightly nervous, about to present to a group of teachers with fellow members of the PUSD Student Think Tank. My brain tried to catch up, place the deja vu, and I realized I was reminded of all the other schools I had attended in PUSD through my public school career. The cold stone hallways, large stairways, off-white paint with brown wooden accent boards, I had seen them all before but at different campuses. It almost felt like a reassurance of the Student Think Tank’s mission and innate interconnectedness across the district.
Started in 2020-21 by our facilitator, writer Sehba Sarwar, the Student Think Tank has been working to research and help implement solutions to problems faced by students. The Student Think Tank’s mission is to create and sustain a safe space for students to connect across campuses, providing multiple platforms for students to share their stories and advocate for themselves through representation in decision-making across PUSD. In our first two years, we formed committees focused on equity, curriculum, and mental health that used guiding questions to research solutions. For our third year, we had just two committees; advocacy and The Learning Curve, an anthology of autobiographical student stories. The publication was created by me and Ella U., a then-junior at Muir who recently graduated from Bucknell College as a Posse Scholar. The Learning Curve is a passion project that I am always excited to share with teachers and the community at large.
Later, when the teachers arrived and we began our professional development session, my fellow Student Think Tank team members explained to them our thought process behind creating The Learning Curve. Ella and I met on WebEx back in our first year (spring 2021), at the height of the pandemic, joined by a need for students to express themselves. Through the anthology, students around PUSD submitted honest stories – using a platform where they could remain anonymous – about their experiences, both the good and the bad. Stories of love, mental health struggles, personal battles, and individual experiences shone through. I was, and still am, extremely proud of its growth in the five years that the publication has existed.
Now, with high school behind me, I’m taking time to reflect upon my accomplishments. The Learning Curve, my baby of sorts, had blossomed into over 400 pages of stories, with perspectives from every high school in the district. The countless hours spent editing the stories, creating the covers, and promoting it anywhere I could paid off. I’ve spoken at four Board of Education meetings and even had a spot in a discussion with top educational experts in 2022 thanks to PEF and NPR’s Larry Mantle. I’ve interviewed, trained, and watched my peers grow into roles bigger than themselves, taking every setback in stride. I know my years were not spent in vain.
After reading a few more stories that we had selected, including some of our own submissions, it hit me that we were getting through to these teachers. Particularly heartstring-tugging stories brought them to tears, and they laughed at the triumphs and jokes skillfully woven into the stories by these anonymous students. The anthology gave them an opportunity to hear what their students were going through, the silent struggles these kids were experiencing every day. Reading the anthology also let them know how grateful students were for them, for their compassion and empathy in a time when it wasn’t guaranteed. It was nothing short of incredible.
These types of breakthroughs are the reason I will always advocate for student voices, stepping up when needed. I never would have guessed that I’d spend my high school days with such a powerful purpose, but here I am. The Student Think Tank gave me hope, it focused me, and ultimately allowed me to feel immense fulfillment in myself. I am eternally grateful for the opportunities to speak, listen, and discuss with my peers. I’ve made lifelong connections and friends in unexpected places, informed and guided top district personnel, and learned more than I ever would have imagined about the district. None of these gratifying experiences would have happened if I hadn’t filled out that Google form in 2020, thinking I might have a chance of getting in.
My time in the Student Think Tank has taught me that equitable and sustainable student representation is of the utmost importance. That’s why we work so hard, why we are planning and proposing methods of student involvement at the highest levels including the Board of Education, why we have put hundreds of hours into this. We believe in it. So should you.
Mya graduated from Pasadena High School in 2023, and recently got their associate’s in Natural Science, Applied Science, and Biology as well as a certificate in GIS at Pasadena City College in 2026. They will attend Cal Poly Pomona in fall 2026 as an Environmental Biology major. While Mya loves the sciences, they also have a passion for the arts that includes playing the viola and writing poetry.
