Reyna Gallardo, left, and Allie Lammey, right, were recently selected to serve as student representatives on the USC School Board.

Today’s high school students seem busier than ever between classes, after-school activities and part-time jobs.

Nonetheless, three Faribault County students have added an additional commitment to their hectic schedules: representing their peers on their district’s school board.

One such student is Blue Earth Area senior Leah Becker, who was sworn onto the BEA School Board in October of 2022, when she was a junior.

Becker attends each of the board’s monthly meetings as a non-voting member. Her role is to act as a liaison between the board and BEA students, and share student issues and concerns with BEA superintendent Mandy Fletcher.

United South Central offers a similar opportunity for one junior and one senior student in the district. Just recently, the USC School Board selected its student representatives for the 2023-24 school year.

The representatives – junior Reyna Gallardo and senior Allie Lammey – were officially awarded the positions at the board’s meeting on Nov. 21.

Gallardo and Lammey became student school board representatives through an extensive application process. After completing an online application which was submitted to superintendent Taylor Topinka and principal Jen Bye, the students were then interviewed by Topinka and five USC School Board members.

During the interview, Gallardo and Lammey explained the positive qualities they would contribute to the board and brought up specific issues they would address as student representatives.

Gallardo says she is passionate about providing students with more resources to address bullying.

“Right now we have a (suicide prevention) hotline, but I would like to do more than that,” she comments.

Lammey, meanwhile, is interested in providing a student’s viewpoint regarding personnel matters.

Actually, both girls agree that, as students, they are able to provide a unique perspective to the School Board.

“School board members vote, but they don’t have the experience of sitting in the classroom,” Lammey explains.

Much like her counterparts at USC, Becker applied to serve on the BEA School Board because she wanted students’ voices to be heard – whether it be her own voice, the voices of her peers, or the voices of younger students in grades K-7.

“I’ve been in a position where my voice hasn’t been heard,” she explains. She says that she wants to prevent others from sharing in that experience – “Whether their opinion is what my beliefs are, or not.”

Now well into her second year of serving on the School Board, Becker says it has been a valuable experience.

“I think it taught me to advocate for myself and others, and gave me a new perspective of how things are run, and the process behind them,” she reflects.

Gallardo and Lammey also hope to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes in their school district.

“Being on the School Board, you learn more about what happens outside of school to make things run smoothly,” Gallardo observes.

Lammey wants to hone her leadership experience as a student school board representative, too.

“I like to do anything I can to gain leadership skills,” she explains. “I like being able to speak for students.” 

Indeed, both Gallardo and Lammey think serving on the School Board will help them develop skills which will be useful later in life, such as being more outgoing, and becoming more involved.

The USC students each intend to enter the healthcare field someday – Gallardo as an ultrasound technician, and Lammey as a nurse injector. Becker wants to become a mechanical engineer.

In the meantime, however, all three students are maintaining full schedules at their respective high schools.

Apart from sitting on the BEA School Board, Becker’s after-school activities include athletics and BEA’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) Program.

Gallardo is involved in USC’s student government, the Big Rebel/Little Rebel Program, and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), a career and technical student organization.

Lammey is also involved in USC’s student government, and she is a member of the HOSA - Future Health Professionals organization.

The students agree they are glad they took on the commitment of serving on their respective school boards, too, and encourage other students to consider taking on the challenge as well.

“It gives you a more personal experience with the staff above you,” Gallardo says. 

Lammey adds, “It’s cool to give your input and share what you think.” 

In fact, the BEA School Board currently has a position open for a junior student representative. The representative would be selected this school year and serve through the end of the 2024-25 term.

Becker would encourage juniors to stop in at the BEA High School office to pick up an application for the position.

“It seems like a rigorous process (to apply),” she says. “But, in the long run, it’s completely worth it, and you learn a lot.”