Watch the Debate for NSBMA President!
Kadence Ilig
Hampden-Whilbraham Regional School District, Massachusetts
I believe that I would be the ideal president for the National Student Board Member Association because I believe that student voice should be the center of school districts. When School Boards make decisions the students are the stakeholders meaning their perspectives should be heard, valued, and incorporated into the work that school boards are doing. Throughout high school, I have gained experience not only as a student board member but also, through various leadership roles where I have helped oversee different clubs and committees. This has allowed me to work with a wide diversity of people, especially students, who have shared their opinions, experiences, and concerns. They have shown me the value of listening and how important it is in effective leadership. As president, I do not want to hear just what the board thinks, but what the students who are directly impacted by this work think. When working with a team, I understand you must communicate, collaborate, and amplify others' voices while staying organized. I believe that I can help many students grow their confidence with the support they need to succeed in their role while also helping our organization stay organized, focused and goal oriented. This could be ensuring that the board is effectively planning professional development training and webinars, or coming up with new resources that we can give students access too. I believe that I can help lead NSBMA by listening first, understanding the needs of the students and organization, and turning ideas into meaningful action that will create long term change. Leadership does not mean being the loudest one in the room, a title, or having the most control, but what you actually do in situations is making sure others have their turn to speak, taking initiative, and not just hearing but actively listening.
Ryana Nair
Newton Public Schools Committee, Massachusetts
I’m applying to be NSBMA President because I have the three things that leaders need the most: experience as a student representative, a comprehensive understanding of policy and the confidence and efficiency to not only express my ideas but execute them. Through my position as Vice President and Student Committee Ambassador in South Senate, along with my year in Class Office and my work with MASR, I’ve learned what it actually means to represent students. It’s so much more than just putting forward your own ideas, or just speaking on behalf of your class. It means listening carefully, identifying priorities, and finding ways to find the best solution to a problem (even when there’s not a perfect fix). Here, my years in Speech and Debate (especially Congress) helps me immensely. Competing at the national level and seeing the hundreds of factors that play into every foreign policy, political, or economic decision has taught me to consider every part of a solution. We need to consider what’s most important, and see where the net benefit is, and that approach has shaped me to be someone who sees problems holistically (in a way that I can think openly and broadly about both consequences and benefits, weighing multiple perspectives and lots of information). Apart from that, I’ve gotten the change to gain real world experience in policy and government. I managed Newton Mayor Marc Laredo’s social media platforms for months (creating social media calendars, drafting captions and posts, reaching out for testimonials, and staffing events to take photos and reels), which introduced me to the importance of community outreach. This summer, my internship with Representative Greg Schwartz at the Massachusetts State House taught me how to research policy, showed me how to take notes on Senate or House sessions, and gave me a glimpse of how bills are developed firsthand. But most importantly, I am someone who is ambitious and follows through. When I see an opportunity or have an idea that I truly believe would be beneficial, I know how to break a plan up and execute it with my team’s support. I would bring that energy, innovation, and motivation to NSBMA by expanding student connections, creating practical opportunities and events, increasing outreach, and finding new ways to emphasize student perspectives. I’d be absolutely honored to serve as President because I really believe in NSBMA’s mission. I want student board members to leave this organization not only feeling represented, but feeling more confident, more seasoned, and more capable of creating change in their own communities.
Lorena Wu
Maryland State Board of Education, Maryland
In a time when education must be at the forefront of our policy, so should our student board members. As NSBMA President, I aim to utilize my passion, dedication, and experience to support the nation’s community of student board members. I want to bring the experiences that I’ve cultivated over my six-year advocacy journey to the role of Executive President. As Eco MoCo Co-President, I led an international environmental advocacy nonprofit of over 100 Executive Board members and 50 chapters worldwide. During my term on the Maryland Youth Advisory Council, I planned large-scale events and contributed to institutional memory as Historian, authoring the annual report to the Governor. I’ve turned my student perspectives into policy proposals and advocacy positions as an intern for Maryland State Delegate Lily Qi. I’ve lobbied at our nation’s capitol and met with national legislators as part of a twenty-student Asian American advocacy program. Now, as the Maryland State Student Member of the Board of Education, I represent almost 900,000 students throughout Maryland and lead an advisory council of almost 100 students. My experience in a pioneering state for SBM rights has given me a unique vantage point I am eager to bring to the national stage. But these experiences are not the defining characteristics that set me apart; the ideas that I bring to this community are. As NSBMA President, I plan to expand current projects and initiate new ones. - NSBMA Podcast: Feature a different student board member each month to broaden voices and further engagement. - National Student Surveys and Reports: Send surveys on student board member issues to inform NSBMA's legislative advocacy and external outreach. - National Peer Mentorship Network: Create a national network where veteran student board members support new ones throughout their terms. NSBMA’s amazing community of student board members offers unique opportunities for every single one of them to grow. Together, we can seize those opportunities to amplify and empower student board members’ voices.
Cosimah Slider
Tigard-Tualatin School Board, Oregon
I am applying for the position of NSBMA President because I believe student leadership is most meaningful when it creates opportunities for others to be heard, supported, and empowered. As a student representative on the TTSD School Board, a mentor through Intercambio, and a participant in community youth leadership, I have developed a strong interest in representing student voices and creating meaningful connections. I hope to bring these experiences, along with my dedication and enthusiasm, to the NSBMA Executive Council. I would be honored to serve as NSBMA President. I am eager to learn from fellow student leaders, contribute new ideas, and help build an executive team that values communication, inclusion, and student voice. I see this opportunity not only as a way to grow as a leader, but also as a chance to support students and make a meaningful contribution to the association.