East Aurora Seniors Take Oath As Student Board Members

Press release from East Aurora School District 131:

AURORA, IL — At its September 6 meeting, the Board of Education welcomed two East Aurora High School seniors as student representatives to the Board for the 2022-23 school year.

Board Secretary Kimberly Hatchett administered the oath to East High School seniors Daniela Arredondo and Arturo Samano.

Daniela Arredondo comes to East High by way of Allen Elementary School and the Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy. Daniela has excelled academically during her high school career participating in East Aurora’s Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble, Track and Field and the National Honor Society. She has also assisted during the summer as a summer school teacher assistant and volunteers at the Food Pantry. Daniela is also currently enrolled in seven (7) AP courses.

Mr. John Elkins, a History Teacher at East High and Coach described Daniela this way:

“Daniela is a well-rounded student with a bright future. As a coach I check in with the athlete’s teachers and three separate teachers used the same word to describe her…..”Brilliant”. Elkins further stated “she is a shining example of the superb student body at East Aurora High School and would be a wonderful contributing student member to the School Board.”

Daniela said that she wanted to become a student board member because, in her words, “I see this as an opportunity to connect with the community surrounding the school and learn more about the processes that go into making some of the decisions affecting the everyday lives of the students. I want to be able to challenge myself and truly see what I am capable of.”

Arturo Samano comes to East High by way of Dieterich Elementary School and Waldo Middle School. Arturo is an excellent student and is very involved in his school community to include the National Honor Society, JV/Varsity Dance, East Aurora Ambassador, Boys Volleyball Club, East Aurora Student Council and East High Tutor. Arturo had the tremendous honor of being only the third scholar in the history of East Aurora High School selected to participate in the National LEDA’s Scholars Program (Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America) at Princeton University this past summer. Arturo is also enrolled in four (4) AP courses.

Ms. Healy Rodman, English Teacher at East High described Arturo this way: “Arturo’s analytical skills made class discussion about our reading more engaging, and he found creative ways to connect difficult literary texts to fun contemporary ideas. He frequently served as a leader-by-example, guiding his classmates in annotating their texts and engaging with deep intertextual questions.” Ms. Teresa Rosa Jackson, CEO of Bridging the Gap of Aurora stated “I have seen and experienced firsthand Arturo’s desire to make East Aurora High School an environment of academic excellence where all students can achieve their full potential and prepare themselves for whatever life journey they choose to follow.”

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