East Aurora School District 131: Seniors Take Oath As Student Board Members

Press release from East Aurora School District 131:

September 8, 2021

At its September 7 meeting, the Board of Education welcomed two East Aurora High School seniors as student representatives to the Board for the 2021-22 school year.

Board Secretary Kimberly Hatchett administered the oath to East High School seniors Lorena Alvarez and Christian Madera.

In her first three years at East High, Lorena has excelled academically while being heavily involved in extracurriculars and leadership among her peers. Lorena has been involved with DECA for three years, and currently serves as Club President. Lorena is a member of the National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Latin Jazz Band and Concert Band. She is a Marching Band section leader and now serves as Drum Major.

Lorena works in the high school’s apparel store, Paw Place. She’s also served her community with volunteer work on behalf of the Aurora Noon Lions Club and the Salvation Army, as part of her role in DECA.

Ms. Tanya Galloway, an English Teacher at East High who taught Lorena AP Language and Composition last year,  described Lorena this way:

“Although last year was very different, Lorena still managed to stand out from her peers and excel in her studies. Not only does she attend every class, but she often attends office hours to make sure she is fully prepared. That should speak volumes about her character. Even virtually, Lorena managed to lead her peers in group work and ask thoughtful questions that challenged the classroom and me as an educator.”

Lorena said that she wanted to become a student board member because, in her words, “As a student, I have prided myself in being involved in and leading many things I am truly passionate about. I know I am proud to be a part of the East Aurora community, and I hope to have the chance to better it.”

Lorena attended Allen Elementary, O’Donnell Elementary, Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy before attending  East High.

In his first three years of high school, Christian has been an excellent student and also very involved outside the classroom. Christian has participated in Marching Band all four years and currently serves as Drum Major. Christian has played football all four years, and participated in track and field for two years. He serves as lead tenor sax in the Jazz Band, and lead tenor sax in the Latin Jazz Band. Christian is a member of the National Honors Society, Science National Honors Society.

Ms. Mandy Bakas, a mathematics teacher at East High, describes Christian this way:

“During the past three years that I have known Christian, I have seen him grow into a remarkable young man. He takes his schooling very seriously and is always on task. He is a very reliable and responsible individual. He is highly motivated and sets high standards and goals for himself. His teammates will often look to him for direction and guidance when dealing with a situation. His dedication and commitment to his work motivate his teammates to perform at a higher level of quality. According to his peer evaluations, he is a great leader and valuable member of the team.”

Christian would like to be a positive example of character, leadership, and service. He would like to see East High being a community where everyone is valued, understood, and heard. He wants to promote this environment and see his fellow students have a more positive attitude and outlook about their school, their future, and themselves.

Christian attended O’Donnell Elementary and Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy before attending East High.

The student board members will begin serving at the Board of Education meetings on September 20. 

Either Alvarez and Madera will attend all Board of Education meetings, and serve as advisory, non-voting members of the Board of Education for one school year.

Alvarez and Madera will be available to the Board to provide a student perspective in discussions. They will report to the board about student activities and report to high school student leadership teams on behalf of the Board.

This press release was produced by East Aurora School District 131. The views expressed here are the author’s own.