Student Voices On The School Board

Students ask for change all the time, but very few get to see how change actually happens. We sit down with our outgoing Olean City School District student board members, Olivia Black and Ava Moses, to celebrate a year of leadership and to pull back the curtain on what it’s like to represent thousands of peers at Board of Education meetings.

They share why they chose student board service during senior year, what surprised them about school district governance, and how the work really gets done before anyone steps up to a microphone. We talk committees, budgeting realities, and the quiet preparation that turns big opinions into clear priorities. Along the way, they reflect on the moments that made them think, “This is why I joined,” including seeing educators and leaders track progress across schools and push for learning that supports kids in real ways.

The biggest takeaway is growth. Olivia and Ava describe learning patience, respecting process, and holding space for emotional concerns while still speaking to the facts. They also get personal about confidence: public speaking nerves, finding words without a script, and building connections across every school building, not just the high school. We wrap with what they’ll miss most, their college plans, and practical advice for the next student board members who want to be truly representative.

If you care about student voice, school board leadership, and what it takes to make schools better, hit play, subscribe to Husky Huddle, share this with a friend, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find the show.

Transcript

Welcome And Why This Matters

SPEAKER_02 0:04

Okay, so welcome to the Husky Huddle. I'm your host, Janelle Morris, the superintendent of Oleanne City School District, and today's episode is all about celebrating leadership, growth, and the incredible contributions of our outgoing student board members. We are going to reflect on their experiences this year, hear what they learned, and find out what exciting plans they have after

Meet The Student Board Members

SPEAKER_02 0:31

graduation. So we're going to start by meeting our guests. Could each of you start by telling me your name, your role on the board, and one quick word to encapsulate your exactly.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

My name is Olivia Black. I am a student board member on the OnlyAn City School Board of Education. One word to describe, I would say inclusive, just because a lot of people were able to speak their truth and speak on issues that they may not feel were touched on.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

My name is Ava Moses. I'm also a student board member. My job, our job was to just gather the thoughts of all the students at in the Olean City School District and just be like represent them at the board meetings. One word to represent my time is informative. It was very interesting to see just how the board meetings worked and just have a better understanding of our school and what was going on.

SPEAKER_02 1:36

Fantastic. All

Why They Chose To Serve

SPEAKER_02 1:38

right. So what inspired you to join the board? You could have done many things with your senior year time.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

I chose to join the board because I like to know behind the scenes of a lot of different things. So being on the board, I was able to figure out the budget that we are given. And like I hear a lot of kids complaining, oh, this type of food is what we're getting, and this, this, this, but I can actually see why we get what we get. So that's why I wanted to like be there, just so I can be more informed, as Ava said, on issues that we have. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 2:15

I think Olean does a very good job at giving students a well-rounded high school experience. And this was um the opportunity that I felt was going to finish off and like give me the best well-rounded experience that Olean I could have. Um, just being a part of something of our whole school and just being able to represent my student body as a whole was a great opportunity.

SPEAKER_02 2:38

Fantastic.

Moments That Made It Real

SPEAKER_02 2:40

All right. So looking back now, was there a moment where you really just had that moment where you were like, this is why I joined the board? This is this is it.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

Um, I would say when um a lot of the like principals and head of like curriculum would come up from other schools and like explain how their kids and their school are progressing. I was really happy to see that there was a lot of effort put into um helping these kids learn in the right way and not through a screen.

SPEAKER_02 3:17

Right. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

I think for sure my first time realizing it was at the board retreat, just meeting all the other students and hearing how passionate they were to about their school and making their school a better place for their for the students. Um, it it was very inspiring to see.

SPEAKER_02 3:33

Awesome.

Being A Voice For Students

SPEAKER_02 3:34

All right, so you've clearly made an impact this year. You've made an impact on yourself and your own leadership and also on others. What do you think is your biggest impact on the school student body this year?

SPEAKER_01 3:48

Um I feel like I became somebody that uh people could bring their opinions to and know that um they I would listen to them and mention a lot of that to the board and have their voice heard through me. So I think that was like one of my biggest impacts.

SPEAKER_00 4:08

One of my biggest impacts was being a voice for all of my students, for all the students, um, and going to the events at every school, not just the high school, um, and just getting to know the kids and knowing how passionate they are about learning, like how excited they are to come to school every day and learn. I think that was definitely the biggest impact.

SPEAKER_02 4:27

Oh, that's cool. All right.

What Happens Before The Meetings

SPEAKER_02 4:30

Um, and for students listening who may not know, what's something behind the scenes about being on the board or about the board itself that they might not know?

SPEAKER_01 4:41

Um, so before every meeting, we discuss like really important topics that we should touch on because there could be other issues you could speak about, but there are other ones that are more important. So we have that time to reflect with each other on the more um significant issues and topics to talk about. Um, that was one of the biggest behind the scenes I did not know that went into it.

SPEAKER_00 5:07

Um, I didn't know that there was separate committees for everything, like budgeting and finance and just boards and grounds. I thought all of it was handled in the board meetings, but they actually um separate and figure that out themselves amongst themselves and then bring it back to the board board meeting.

SPEAKER_02 5:23

Yeah, that's a really good insight. Yeah, we we have all of those other areas where we kind of hash through all the different um issues and points and ask all those questions, then we can bring it to the board for that group discretion.

Patience, Process, And Leading Well

SPEAKER_02 5:37

Um, so one of the most powerful parts of leadership is growth. What is the biggest lesson you've learned from serving on this board?

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Um, you have to have a lot of patience in life, especially with um some of the opinions that will be brought to you. Um, you can't go in with like attitude and ignorance. You have to go in with an open mind to hear other people's point of views, but also um speak the facts that go into what they're speaking about, because they're coming in with a lot of emotions and you kind of have to like help them calm it down so they understand both sides. Right. That's a great side.

SPEAKER_00 6:19

I think patients for sure, um, just understanding that if you want something done, it's not going to get done right away. There's a process to things, and that's what makes the school board the school board. They don't just like jump the gun. Um, there's a process, like a voting process, just making sure it's doable, just like that.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

Right, right. Great point. And has this experience changed you either as a leader or as a person or both?

SPEAKER_01 6:44

I would say being a student board member really helped me get out of my shell as in my way of comfortability, because before that I was super um shy, had a lot of anxiety for public speaking, but being on the board, I was kind of pushed to um go on the spot of like on the spot of speaking. Um, and I had a lot of people listening to me. Um, so I knew to not like just shut down as soon as I started talking or somebody wasn't saying something. Like I was able to just become more comfortable around speaking um in front of people. That's wonderful. That's wonderful.

SPEAKER_00 7:21

Um, I got a lot better at coming up with words on the spot because um I would not go into the meeting with a planned script to say I would just go into the meeting knowing what I was going to talk about and have to put something together on the spot. Also, um I got to meet a lot of people that I would not have met otherwise, and just those connections were nice and prioritization for sure, like just um having to be there on Tuesdays, coming to the meetings, it just gave me a new sense of prioritizing the school board.

SPEAKER_02 7:52

That's fantastic. All right.

College Plans And New Paths

SPEAKER_02 7:54

So, as exciting as this year has been, you guys just got back from your senior trip. And that means that is a sign that there's a new chapter around the corner.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

What are your plans after graduation? Um, I plan on going to my college, um, Mercy Hearst, and I am going to be majoring in biology, neuroscience concentration, and minoring in pre-law. Um, and then hopefully during my years of that, I can get into an early acceptance program for LEACA. See where my life takes me after that.

SPEAKER_00 8:30

Wonderful. How about you? I plan on going to the University of Chicago. Um, my plan right now is to major in economics and international relations.

SPEAKER_02 8:39

Fantastic.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

Um, and after that, I'm not sure. Probably grad school or something like that, but that's way in the future.

SPEAKER_02 8:46

So it feels like it's way in the future until it sneaks up on you. Yeah, and the next thing you know, you're like, what? It's oh it's grad school today. So yeah, that's wonderful, ladies. That's wonderful. And do you think that this time on the board has influenced this pathway that you both have chosen?

SPEAKER_01 9:04

Most definitely. I think originally going into my major, I was nervous to not to go and not knowing anything. Um, and it may sound funny, but the board helped me realize I knew a lot more than I thought I did. So it like helped me grow into wanting to do this major a lot more. So I would say that.

SPEAKER_00 9:24

Wonderful. I think seeing so many people be so passionate about making a better change for students um and wanting to do something good for the school just inspired me to want to use my knowledge and my expertise that I'll get from college to do something good and benefit other people.

SPEAKER_02 9:41

Fantastic. All right. And what are you looking forward to the most? You both are going away to college, you both have wonderful degree paths that you want to pursue. What are you looking forward to the most?

SPEAKER_01 9:54

Um, I would say making better connections with a lot of people. Um, I think the more connections you make can lead you to so many different pathways, even if it takes you off the pathway of your major that you're doing. Um, I just think meeting like those people and opening your mindset to many different things is like a great um place to be in. So that's why what I'm most excited for. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 10:19

I'm excited to be in a new environment and just to be able to explore that and see and just yeah, navigate that and meet new people and um just gain that sort of independence that I think you mean an adult hug.

SPEAKER_02 10:33

Yeah, yeah. You know, I have a biology degree and here I am here.

unknown 10:37

Right.

SPEAKER_02 10:38

So you're right, being open-minded about the path that your your degree will take you is always a good approach. You never know where you're gonna end or where your passions will

Advice For The Next Student Members

SPEAKER_02 10:49

be. All right, so before I wrap up, I would like to ask you um, what advice would you give to the next round of student board members? So we're going to have our next round of student board members come to our next board meeting and they're going to be appointed at that time. What advice would you give them?

SPEAKER_01 11:13

Um, to be very observational of everything, um, of the students around them, the way they act towards certain like um things that happen, and then also be very observational of the uh board members because there's a lot of things that you can learn, but there's a lot of things that you can also bring to the table yourself by doing that. So just um pay attention and don't go in with like this set like idea mindset that like you what you're gonna say is gonna be done right then and there, or it's gonna be done like in general. Like, because there's like Ava said, there's a many different like levels to um putting stuff in place. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

Um my advice would be to talk to everyone, take as many opportunities to go to the other schools as you can, um, reach out to teachers, ask to go visit the classes or read to the students. Um, just make yourself yeah, make yourself as representative as possible of everyone in the school district, not just the high school, and not just your friend group in the high school, make sure you speak to everyone because you're not just representing the high school at the end of the day. It's everyone.

SPEAKER_02 12:19

Right, right. That's great. That's

What They Will Miss Most

SPEAKER_02 12:21

great. And what will you miss the most?

SPEAKER_01 12:24

Um honestly, I'll miss like a lot of the board members. I think um the humor that some of them had was not what I was expecting until we um were in some of the meetings and hearing the side comments. I um I'm gonna miss them. I think I'm gonna miss like learning about what the younger kids are learning about and how they are progressing in their um age. So I think those are like gonna be the two main things I'll miss. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 12:52

I'm gonna miss playing a big role in our school. Um for my time on the board, I just felt like I was part of something bigger, and that was a nice feeling. Um, and for sure, like the board members, they made it very fun to be there. And just the professional environment was nice. Like that experience is very nice.

SPEAKER_02 13:10

Fantastic. And don't forget, you can always join your student governments when you get to college. I know for me that was my first entry into this type of uh experience, and it was really fun. So don't forget you got that opportunity there as well.

What Service On The Board Means

SPEAKER_02 13:27

And so to close us out, I have one final question for you both. If you had to answer this question, what would be your response? What does being part of this board mean to you?

SPEAKER_01 13:41

Um, what does it mean to me? Um I would say it's become one of the more important things in my life because of the um people and the opportunities that come from it. Um I feel as if it became like a f not like a like a family type thing because you're with each other every month and you're with each other for sometimes three hours, sometimes an hour and a half. But um it means a lot to me. It means uh that I can I feel like I can depend on some of the people that on the board even after my time that I spent on it.

SPEAKER_00 14:22

So that's great. Um it mean to me, it means to play an important role in something and just um make it's important to me to like make this school a better place for everyone and just be a voice for everyone and um make the board members aware of what's going on in the schools and what we're doing to try to make our schools a better place.

SPEAKER_02 14:44

Yes. Fantastic.

Thanks, Pride, And Goodbye

SPEAKER_02 14:46

Well, it has been nothing but an amazing pleasure to spend a year with you both, and I appreciate you both sharing your stories and for the leadership that you've given to every to the school district this year. The students enjoy having you in the buildings, they enjoy seeing you, they enjoy interacting with you guys, and you've been nothing but a pleasure to work with all year. Your impact will certainly carry forward, and we wish you the best with everything that you're doing next, and definitely keep us updated. Like, we love to hear from our past student board members. I want to hear and know what you're doing, and just any ways that we can support you and all the wonderful things that you're gonna do going forward. So, thank you to every listener that is out there listening to this. And until next time, this is uh the superintendent signing off on the Husky Huddle. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 15:42

Thank you for having us.

SPEAKER_02 15:43

Thank you.