26 New Members Selected For Superintendent Juneau’s Student Advisory Board

Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau announced today the addition of 26 high school students to her Student Advisory Board. The 2015-2016 board is made up of 35 young adults from nearly every corner of Montana.

"This new class of Student Advisory Board members will bring a fresh perspective to the table as we work to increase Montana’s graduation rate and expand learning opportunities for all students," Superintendent Juneau said. "I’m excited to work with these young adults whose experiences and ideas could help shape the future of Montana’s public schools."

The Student Advisory Board is meant to give high school students a voice in Montana’s public school policy decisions. Their input and guidance is critical to the mission of Graduation Matters Montana, an effort to increase the number of young adults who graduate from high school and are prepared for college and the workforce.

The 2015-2016 class of Student Advisory Board members includes teens from Montana’s large communities like Billings, Missoula and Great Falls. It also includes students from rural areas like Hysham, Seeley-Swan and Froid.

To be selected, students were first nominated by their school or a community member. The students then applied for a seat on the board. In their applications, students touched on a range of issues important to them, including; dual-enrollment opportunities, fighting bullying and racism, and raising the graduation rate.

"Everyone in this community needs to stop and listen and see what really matters and step forward to do all that we can do to make this a better place to learn and live," Frazer High School’s Jarom Talks Different wrote in his application.

Learn more about the Student Advisory Board here: http://graduationmatters.mt.gov/sab.html

Learn more about Graduation Matters Montana here: http://graduationmatters.mt.gov/

New Members:

Mackenzie Spence, Alberton High School

Katelyn Weldon, Billings Senior High School

Sean Swinford, Bozeman High School

Crystal Lamere, CMR High School

Bailey Menahan, Colstrip High School

Evangeline Campbell, Darby High School

Cassidy Clotfelter, Fairfield High School

Stephanie Woodland, Flathead High School

Jarom Talks Different, Frazer High School

Paige Robertson, Froid High School

Bristan Fenner, Great Falls High School

Taylor Johnson, Great Falls High School

Ian Kozak, Helena High School

Hannah Fradkin, Hellgate High School

Sydnie Racine, Hellgate High School

Marcene Piper Robinson, Hysham High School

Elijah Kleinsasser, Moore High School

Tyler Subatch, Plains High School

Isaac Cowley, Powell County High School

Johnathan Mason, Powell County High School

Bowen Standing Rock, Rocky Boy High School

Paige Holmes, Seeley-Swan High School

Dylan Haggart, Sentinel High School

Jake Michels, Shepherd High School

Lauryn Barnhart, Sidney High School

Ian Furstenberg, Skyview High School

Returning Members:

Joseph Martinez, Belgrade High School

Trevor Canty, Billings West High School

Gabriella Blatt, Box Elder High School

Jewel Johnson, Fergus County High School

Andrew Donlan, Granite High School

Naumie DuShane, Hardin High School

Ashley Hofland, Havre High School

Blazz Wood, Thompson Falls High School

Charlene Allmer, Wolf Point High School

###

About OPI

"The Montana Office of Public Instruction provides vision, advocacy, support and leadership for schools and communities to ensure that all students meet today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities."