In partnership with the Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL), the State Board seeks a current high school sophomore from Western Washington to serve a two-year term as the student representative to the State Board of Education (SBE). This student will also serve on the AWSL Student Voice & Advisory Council. Find out more about the application process and the desired qualifications on AWSL's application page. Applications are due March 31, 2021 (updated from the original date of March 8 to give more students an opportunity to apply).

SBE's current student members are essential advisors to the Board and bring appreciated perspective to education policy discussion at each meeting. Learn more about student leaders, Margarita and McKenna, below. 

Margarita Amezcua, Western Washington Student Representative
Student leader, Margarita Amezcua, is reaching the end of her two-year term on the Washington State Board of Education as she begins the second half of her senior year. She currently attends Auburn Riverside High School, and has been interested in leadership since middle school. At North Tapps Middle School, she had an opportunity to take a class about leadership. This class gave her the opportunity to step out of her comfort zone for the first time. It showed her that the actions we all take daily, whether positive or negative, have a lasting impact on our surroundings. She also learned about Servant Leadership and the importance of being a person who is willing to sacrifice for the greater good. She chooses to believe that the reason she has come to have this opportunity to serve on the SBE is because of the seed that class planted.

When she was first sworn-in to the State Board in the spring of 2019, Margarita said she was "humbled to have the opportunity to be a voice for her community through this position." In her two-year term, she has grown into a strong voice within the education community, facilitating multiple student-led discussions on how our system can be bettered and can become more reflective of students' needs. 

Check out some of Margarita's work while serving on the State Board at the links below: 

• Modern Day Racism in Education (student panel)
• Migrant Student Opportunity to Dream (presentation)
• January 2020 Testimony (to the Legislature for SB 5607 (concerning dual language))
• Margarita Visits the Yakama Nation Tribal School (video)
• Margarita and Autymn Celebrate New "Student Advisory Vote" on SBE (video)

McKenna Roberts, Eastern Washington Student Representative
Junior and passionate student leader, McKenna Roberts, will begin her second year on the State Board as she exits her junior year as an Okanogan student in May. Roberts finished her sophomore year as class president at Okanogan High School. She is also the president of the Key Club, a member of the National Honor Society, and Youth Leadership Council through Room One in Twisp. As she was selected for her role on the Board, she stated, "I am beyond excited to work on the State Board of Education...I want to ensure that every student, regardless of economic status or geographic location, has an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential."

After only one year as an SBE student member, McKenna has already shown passion and eloquence as an advocate for student-led decision making in education policy. The Board is excited to meet McKenna in person (when it is safe) and learn more from her as she begins her final year in high school and her last year as Eastern Washington student representative to SBE.

See some highlights from McKenna's first year as a student member below: 

• January 2021 Student Panel Presentation (video)
• January 2021: McKenna and Margarita Remarks on Graduation (audio)
• State Board Welcomes New Student Member (press release)
• November 2020 House Education Committee Work Session (presentation)