Meeting the School Board

"Greetings trustees, Superintendent Duffy, and staff..." I rehearsed as I paced back and forth within the confines of my room.  Tonight the Ivy Leauge Connection was being recognized by the West Contra Costa Unified School District School Board, a school board I was all too familiar with. Having just ended my term in May as a student representative, I reminisced the days of Rosenberg's Rules of Order and hours of public comment. Dressed in my grey pantsuit (I had a distaste for black clothing that night), I was ready to convey the true meaning of the ILC to our school district and our community.

The podium.

Weeks prior to our meeting with the school board, Don informed us of the expectations for the night. We were allocated five minutes of time to address the board and required to dress business casual to maintain a sense of professionalism. With our time constraints, we were limited to one representative per cohort to speak before the board.  I volunteered to speak on behalf of the Vanderbilt cohort to shed a light on the role the ILC plays within our community. Shreejal represented the UChicago cohort and had extensive experience speaking publicly. 

Upon arrival at Lovonya Dejean Middle School, both cohorts were briefed by Don and given a rundown of the night. Our item was early on in the agenda, so we had to take extra measures to ensure that we were prepared. The multipurpose room was buzzing with a passionate energy. Many community members were gathered to advocate for their respective agenda items. The vibrant aura in the room was an indicator of the lively night to come. 

Me, speaking before the board.

The cameras went live as the board members trickled in from closed session. All eight of us were seated in the front row, proudly carrying the ILC banner (to which Don pointed out that there were no Ivy Leauge logos on the banner to avoid copyright infringement) Following a short introduction from President Valerie Cuevas, we all shortly rose to pledge allegiance to the flag. After roll call and an adjustment of the agenda for the night, the meeting was called to order. Prior to our presentation, we tuned in to an honor ceremony for teachers in our district and a report of findings by an organization based in Richmond, California. Before we knew it, it was our time to speak before the board. 

Don, Shreejal, and I walked up to the podium to address the board, the public, and the hundreds of community members watching the meeting on their television. After Don introduced the ILC, it was our turn to speak before our school district.

The ILC carrying the banner.

Shreejal spoke first, highlighting the promise of the ILC and what their trip to UChicago will entail. It was now my turn to speak. Standing before television cameras and the public was a bit intimidating but I was motivated by the ILC and its mission.

Before the podium, I spoke about our duty as ILCer's to give back to our community and present our insights gained on the trip. I shared the long endeavor our cohort faced to get here and shared our excitement to undergo a genuine college experience at Vanderbilt. With 75 seconds split amongst Shreejal and I, our content was limited to what time would allow, but following Don's conclusion we finished our presentation to the board with sixteen seconds to spare!

Following our presentation to the board, we all went outside to take a classic ILC picture in the beaming sunlight. As we exited the multipurpose room, we were congratulated by Mister Philips, a trustee on the school board. I found his supportive words welcoming and thanked him for his encouragement.

Our final picture before our trip.

Once we were gathered outside, Don positioned us and our parents for a picture commemorating the ILC. After twenty photos and a bright grin on all our faces, we said our goodbyes before our trip to Nashville and Chicago.

Tonight was a night to remember. It was an honor to share with the Board and the community what the ILC truly represents. Less than a month before we depart the Bay Area and say hello to Nashville. I could not be more excited!