Medford Election Profile: John Intoppa For School Committee

MEDFORD, MA — Medford's municipal election Nov. 5 will send six people to the School Committee out of a pool of 10 candidates. John Intoppa, 18, is a 2019 graduate of Medford High School and first-time School Committee candidate.

Intoppa was the president of the Class of 2019. He lives in Medford with his parents, Jennifer and Lou, and his younger siblings.

He is pursuing a BFA in Industrial Design at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and has worked as a salesman at Modern Hardware and Paint Co. since 2017.

Are you running for office in Medford? Contact Alex Newman at alex.newman@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Medford Patch.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Our student's success after high school. I intend on working with the health curricula to integrate financial literacy courses as well as a better education on mental health

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am the only primary source of student life and what is going on within the schools as I just graduated this past school year.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

I believe "failed" is a harsh term to use, I feel that they are currently lacking in the discussion of mental health within the schools and teaching our students financial literacy. I learned how to write a check - by running for school committee, not in school.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

I would like to look into the integration of ALICE, an adapted physical education program, and adding the funding of the CCSR program into the budget.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As I mentioned earlier, I am the only primary source of student life running. I was also in a majority of the high school's extracurricular areas. I was involved with the arts as an orchestra member and actor, the athletics department as a rower, coxswain, team assistant, and for a brief time wrestler. I started my own club and was a part of some others. I am also the MHS Senior Class President (2019). During that time I served on the high school's SITE council, represented Medford High School at Student Government Day at the State House, and helped bring a successfull senior year of activities to the Class of 2019. I was also involved with student leadership at the high school's Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility (CCSR).

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Wow, that's a great question. Most likely, "Play as if you've never lost, and practice as if you've never won" and "You can achieve anything you put your mind to".

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

There is SO much I'd love to say, just know my email (intoppa4medford@gmail.com) and messages are always open and I'd love to have one on one or group discussions! You can also visit my Facebook (Intoppa4Medford) or my website intoppa4medford.weebly.com for more information about me!

Thank you for your time and I hope to have your vote on November 5th!!