December 2, 2009 - Seniors Sarah Pavelec and Irene Van Ryn of Shaker High School have been selected as student representatives to the North Colonie Board of Education for the 2009-10 school year. This is the first time that North Colonie has selected students to serve as representatives to the Board. Last year, a group of Shaker High School students served on the district Budget Committee.

The process began with Shaker High students being recommended by their 11th grade history teachers and invited to write two essays explaining why they were interested in the position of representative to the board and how they would work to enhance communication between the Board of Education and the student body. Pavelec and Van Ryn were selected as finalists and met with a committee of the Board of Education and the Superintendent.

Both students have great ambition and are eager to begin in their new roles.

“The school board is a very crucial part of our system,” Sarah Pavelec, said. “I feel that by being this new pair of eyes, I can only enhance the work already accomplished by the Board.”

Irene Van Ryn is already thinking about how this new position can affect her future.

“I am considering majoring in business when I attend college next year,” Van Ryn said. “Being a representative to the Board of Education would allow me to see how financial choices are made and observe how administrative organizations arrive at decisions.”

This is an initiative that Superintendent Randy Ehrenberg is delighted to see become a reality and hopes to see continued long into the district’s future.

We are excited by the fact that we will be having our students’ voices at the table,” Ehrenberg said. “We are also looking forward to having students serve on the district Budget Committee again this year.”