The Board’s Brand New Student Body Representatives
In September 2021, junior Naomi Porter applied to be the student board member of the California State Board of Education (SBE). This position is held by a high school senior who understands policy needs, funding constraints and has a passion for education. Over a yearlong term, the chosen state board member acts as a regular voting member of the SBE. Members of the SBE vote on matters concerning California’s curriculum and academic standards. To apply, Porter mailed in an application with responses to several essay prompts, her resume, three letters of recommendation, her transcript and other personal information to the California Department of Education (CDE). By Sept. 29, 2021, Porter emerged within the top 12 students out of approximately 200 applicants. After this, she attended the Student Advisory Board of Education online conference from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2. Through this conference, the applicant pool was narrowed down to six by a group of student delegates throughout California. In February, the CDE chose three out of the six candidates to be interviewed by Governor Gavin Newsom who then announced Porter’s selection from this group on April 26. Porter looks forward to making a positive change in education for California students in her new role.
“[This position] is exciting and definitely overwhelming, but I am ready for it,” Porter said. “I think it is great that California not only gives students a voice, but also a vote. In many [other] places, [they say] they would love to hear students’ opinions, but ultimately all decisions are made by adults. [However,] in this case, I get a seat at the table and access to closed sessions which is [a unique aspect of] this position. I am not [going to] take that lightly and I [will] work my hardest to make sure student voices are heard.”
Porter began her journey with leadership when she joined Girl Scouts in kindergarten. She was awarded the Girl Scout Gold Award in 2020, the summer after ninth grade. She also joined Boy Scouts in ninth grade, and became an Eagle Scout in 2021. Both experiences furthered her leadership skills, as Girl Scouts helped her see problems in society as opportunities for solutions, and Boy Scouts taught her to deal with opposing viewpoints. Her love for education heightened during her time in eighth grade, when she joined the Principal’s Advisory Committee. Naomi Porter’s sister, freshman Sarah Porter, has been alongside her through the whole application process, and admires her sister’s devotion.
“[Naomi] is a natural leader,” Sarah Porter said. “Ever since she was a little kid, she has always been a great public speaker and good at connecting with other people. I think she is a wonderful person to be around, [because] she has a positive effect on people. She is so passionate about the education system so I could not have picked a better person [for the role].”
As a member of the SBE, Naomi Porter hopes to bring change to California’s education system. Porter wants to have conversations about including financial literacy as part of the school curriculum, as she believes that it is crucial in helping students prepare for their futures after school. It is also key to her that schools strengthen partnerships between community colleges and general education classes to normalize vocational internships and support the idea that a four year degree is not the path for everyone.
On Aug. 1, Porter will be sworn in under oath of office, and her first monthly state board meeting will be on Sept. 12 and Sept. 13. Porter will also attend other meetings such as advisory sessions and town halls where she will speak, listen to student voices, have conversations about upcoming agenda items and hear different perspectives on them. Freshman Landon Seidel, who is a member of the Friendship Club with Porter, envisions a great impact from her.“I think we are in really good hands,” Siedel said. “I went to middle school with [Naomi], and I always knew her as someone who was a leader of many groups. She is such a hard worker, [and] I do not know many people that work harder than her. [Naomi] is a great leader and knows what she is doing, [so] I know she is [going to] do something great.”
