By Karen Antonacci
Noah Mollerstuen officially became an adult just two weeks before he will graduate from Boulder High. Before he reached either of those milestones, however, Noah helped the Boulder Valley School District leadership navigate an unprecedented pandemic.
Noah was convinced by his friend and fellow Student Advisory Board member Jasper to join the board and ended up serving for three of his four high school years.
“It seemed like a pretty good opportunity to get some leadership experience and help improve the school district,” he said. “I signed up not knowing what to expect, but I’ve stuck with it and it has been a great community these last three years.”
Noah said he was proud to be a part of the Student Advisory Board’s work, especially giving the School Board feedback on how to remedy inequities in public education and close the opportunity gap for historically disadvantaged groups of students.
“Inequality is a pretty major issue in the Boulder Valley school district, so my work with the Board will allow me to be a bit more aware of those problems in the future and how I impact them and how they impact me,” he added.
Those gaps became starkly apparent when the COVID-19 pandemic forced students into virtual education. The Student Advisory Board’s work on civic engagement had to be put on pause to work within the school district and with nonprofit organizations such as Impact on Education to make sure each student had the equipment and technology they needed to succeed.
“I signed up not knowing what to expect, but I’ve stuck with it and it has been a great community these last three years.”
Noah Mullerston, Senior at Boulder High School
COVID also fundamentally changed the way students experienced high school this year. Noah said for him, he was able to weather the pandemic as he is an introverted online native anyway, but he noticed the social effects of not seeing his peers in person everyday.
“It was definitely hard to keep in touch with friends that I didn’t know as well. The number of friends I had probably decreased while I intentionally kept contact with people I know well,” he said. “Like the people you would just say hi to in the hallway, you don’t see any more.”
Luckily, Noah’s other hobbies adapted well to meeting people online or distanced. Besides the Student Advisory Board, he also spends his time on his school’s Robotics Club and was able to keep playing tennis with friends. He serves on the board of management for his church, the First Congregational Church of Boulder. In his free time, Noah likes to play board games and video games.
Noah received a J. Perry Bartlett college scholarship and will study computer science and robotics at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio this fall.
Overall, he said that he would recommend other BVSD students consider serving on the Student Advisory Board to broaden their perspective. “I’m definitely glad I’ve been on the board. It has been pretty interesting to see the different perspectives that the people from the different schools are bringing to the table,” Noah said.
We’re offering a forum for our Student Advisory Board members to share their voice through guest blog posts. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Impact on Education.
By James Clemson
On Wednesday, March 3, 2021, just before 10 a.m, Centaurus High School went into lockdown after a teacher thought they heard gunshots fired within the school. The school was in lockdown for roughly 3 hours while police searched the building before, thankfully, it was declared a false alarm. Afterward, Centaurus returned to normal operations.
The swift response of multiple police departments demonstrated BVSD’s good planning and the dedication of our local law enforcement to keeping kids safe. However, the emotional aftermath of such an event highlights some areas for improvement.
As a Centaurus student myself, I have friends and family who were in the building at the time of the lockdown, although I was fortunately learning remotely at the time.
One 9th grade student I know was outside the building, studying with friends, when the report came in. Her first impression that something was very wrong came when a police woman pulled up with a large gun and talked to a staff member outside. The staff member then yelled at the students to “RUN!” She and her friends ran to a nearby gas station, unsure where to go or what was happening. She admitted that it was mostly adrenaline that kept her moving and a sense that the decisions she made could very much be life or death. Arriving at a friend’s house, they reached out to family and peers in the building and over the course of an hour and a half, started to learn what had been going on at the school.
After Centaurus announced that they would be returning to normal activities, this student and her friends returned, still understandably distraught. Classes were half empty, and in those that remained, teachers and students didn’t talk about the events of the morning. She said it felt like a sort of group denial. Personally shaken, she felt the need to work through her feelings before she could return to her classes. Although trauma counselors had been made available, information on when and where to seek these resources was scarce, and announcements that it was ok to leave school if that was needed were late in coming. All in all, this student felt that Centaurus’s emotional and trauma support was “too little too late”.
In an age where school shootings are an all too common possibility, and especially in light of the recent mass shooting at the King Soopers in Boulder, it is important to have a plan. The events on March 3rd demonstrated the strength of BVSD’s lockdown procedure but also made clear some weaknesses, and it is important to learn from this experience to make students feel as safe as possible in their schools.
As this 9th grader pointed out, she would have known what to do, were she in the classroom, thanks to numerous drills. But outside, with her only direction being “RUN,” she was left largely on her own to make decisions that could have meant life or death. Better guidance on safe spaces near a school, and how to get to them, would have been very helpful, according to this student. Furthermore, the actual event is not the whole issue.
The emotional fallout requires better guidance and communication from the school. BVSD has many exceptional mental health resources, as a district and through partnerships with the community. Beyond school counselors, which form the backbone of BVSD’s student support systems, community partnerships with Mental Health Walk in Crisis Clinc, Colorado Crisis Services, Community Reach Center, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and Mental Health Partners are all intended to provide needed mental health services.
While these are important and impactful, it is also vital that information about how to access them, as well as more traditional school counselors, is made readily available, so that students can easily find the support they need. This should be done in a clear, direct manner, be it through the PA system, teachers, or whatever other method is deemed most effective at reaching students.
Events like these can not be ignored; they must be acknowledged. Even if it was a false alarm, the experiences and emotions of those involved are very, very real, and should be addressed as such. I hope BVSD takes the events of March 3 as a chance to reflect and improve and make school safer and more supportive for everyone.
James Clemson is a junior at Centaurus High School, where he plays for the school’s JV soccer team. He is part of the IB Diploma Program and on Impact on Education’s Student Advisory Board.
We’re offering a forum for our Student Advisory Board members to share their voice through guest blog posts. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Impact on Education.
By Emery Jansen
The past year has been horrific in countless ways; tragedies hit all communities one after the other, and it has been challenging to keep ourselves afloat. In the beginning, there was an aura of surrealism that encapsulated everyone. It was an enjoyable kind of unprecedented fun even. No one we knew had COVID in those first few weeks when everyone learned how to make double- and triple-layered masks; it was just an extended spring break and a hefty dose of dysregulation. Signs reading, “We will get through this together,” and “This too shall pass,” littered our cities and social media feeds. Unfortunately though, those days of pandemic glory wore off quickly; this still has not passed. The past year has been one of distance and each-man-for-himself sentiments; more than 12 months in and some self-entitled citizens still refuse to consider someone, anyone, other than themselves.
Despite these collective grievances and our own individual sufferings, not everything was negative. In March of 2020, I found myself grappling with the loss of my life as I knew it, as all of us did. Everything was unknown, and I spiraled as the uncertainties around me swept me up with them. As a member of the generation deemed conceited and overly-absorbed in the online world, I sat in a resounding inability to feel, to connect, to do anything other than simply survive. I’m sure many of my peers can attest to this: even those who weren’t textbook-compliant with the various COVID mandates and were still socializing felt the shift. By chance, I came upon an opportunity to keep myself afloat and, as I found out later, cultivate intimate relationships with those who compose my world.
My letter-writing empire began on March 29, 2020, when a friend of mine got an envelope in the mail, covered in haphazard, pen-drawn hearts. It was sent by one of their friends wanting to bring a smile to the faces around her. I contemplated this occurrence for a while, realizing just how grateful I would be and important I would feel if someone did the same for me, even with simple communication. So, I determinedly drafted a list of 13 people to write to, pen on paper, a stamp in the upper-righthand corner, the whole lost art of letter writing. I wrote my favorite memories I shared with each person, lamented about what I would miss the most about them in our time apart during lockdown (unfortunately, I am still missing these traits of the people I love). I asked them questions about what we would typically be discussing in-person. Twelve out of those original 13 letters arrived at their destinations, the vast majority bound for friends and teammates, though two meandered their way to Wisconsin with my cousins’ names on them. The last was vacuumed into the space-time continuum and still hasn’t been delivered.
Now, almost exactly one year since I wrote my first letters, I have sent and received over 200 letters, with a group of people who have morphed only slightly since 12 months ago. I wrote letters to my best friend daily, passed a travel-destination list back and forth with other friends, traded music suggestions, laughed at terribly embarrassing anecdotes, stared in wonderment at my friends’ calligraphy talent, became acquainted with my aunt as the human she is, reconnected with a middle school friend to support her through intense tragedy, tantalizingly listed the most arbitrary tidbits about myself, learned more about friends I’ve made recently, and, most regrettably, stamped and sent an unfortunately colorful letter to my crush at the time. I wish I were kidding on the last one. However, all the others sent me running to the mailbox almost daily in hopes that I would find a response waiting for me. This may sound cheesy, a 16-year-old writing letters to stay connected when there are virtual ways to communicate instantly, but I have found this lost art to be the epitome of what I need right now: an unmatched opportunity to express myself creatively, encouragement to stay patient, and finally, an ability to ground myself in the present and in found moments to forget the world’s realities of the past year.
About the author
Emery Jansen is a junior at Fairview High School and a member of our Student Advisory Board. She is passionate about all things creative–including embroidery, photography, drawing, writing, and running her own business. Emery is also a vehement advocate for social justice and mental health awareness, valuing the connections she holds with those around her more than everything else in her life.
We’re offering a forum for our Student Advisory Board members to share their voice through guest blog posts. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Impact on Education.
By Abby Cohen
As we approach the one-year mark of the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, a new pandemic is coming to light: the opioid crisis. Obviously, this is nothing new to any American. Drug overdoses have been a major cause of death among citizens for years. But in Boulder County, an alarming and abnormal number of opioid overdoses among teens in our community have occurred within the last few months.
On February 6th, Boulder County released an article warning of fentanyl-laced Xanax and Oxycodone pills, two drugs popular among recreational users. Even without coroner reports for recent teen deaths, there is substantial evidence that laced drugs are circulating the streets of our county.
Hear what a local high school student has to say about the alarming number of teen opioid overdoses in Boulder County.
The only way to reverse an opioid overdose is by using a drug called Narcan, also known as Naloxone. This drug is easy to use; it’s administered by nasal spray. However, Narcan is expensive and often requires more than one dose to revive someone. Narcan can be provided by pharmacies for free to someone with Medicaid, but it tends to cost around $120 if bought at a pharmacy. This makes Narcan hard to obtain. Local rehabilitation facilities such as Natural Highs offer free Narcan and training on how to use it. This is an amazing aid to our community, but it still doesn’t reach everyone at risk for drug overdoses.
I’m confident drug overdoses among my fellow teens would decrease if there were a location where BVSD students could anonymously pickup Narcan for free. A petition was started by a Colorado high school student to require schools to provide students with Narcan, drug testing strips, and training sessions on how to assist someone who is overdosing. At the time of the writing of this blog, the petition has 4,819 signatures.
4,819 is more students than the total enrollment of Boulder High School and Fairview High School combined. Clearly, there’s a consensus among my peers and me that change is necessary, but I’m concerned this petition won’t be enough to make change.
In order for this petition to create positive change, we need the support of BVSD educators and parents.
If the people paying taxes to fund the schools demand change, the district is much more likely to listen. We need more parents, teachers and staff sharing and signing this petition, and we need them to communicate their complaints directly to the schools and to our district leaders. Every voice makes a difference, as we cannot afford to lose another classmate due to drugs, when we have the power to save them.
Abby Cohen is a graduating senior at Fairview High School and a member of Impact on Education’s Student Advisory Board.
We’re excited to share the second round of Student Advisory Board interviews with local community leaders.
Our students asked the leaders questions about how high school impacted their lives and careers as well as issues facing high school students today. They also sought advice for making the most of their time in high school and early on in their careers.
In this edition, we hear from the first Colorado African-American member of Congress, the first female Boulder city manager, a healthcare CEO envisioning healthcare as an industry of service, and the co-founder of a wildly successful yoghurt company.
Below, our students provide a glimpse into their conversations, and you’ll find links to each individual interview.
Joe Neguse represents Colorado’s 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected to his first term in November 2018, becoming the first Colorado African-American member of Congress in our state’s history. He was interviewed by Jasper Brockett and Audrey Bahintchie.
Jasper enjoyed learning “the degree to which he was involved with things in college” and getting a behind the scenes look at life as a Congressman. Audrey related to how his immigrant parents have influenced how he lives his life, “as I too take on life with the beliefs that were passed down to me from my mother.”
Jane Brautigam is the former city manager of the City of Boulder. She is the first female city manager and longest serving Boulder city manager in modern history and shared her story with Elle Vickey.
More a conversation between the two than an interview, the experience of hearing that Jane enjoyed being a city manager more than being a lawyer surprised Elle. She found it interesting that Jane “believed in doing things that were able to help more people and reach her community.”
Isaac is the CEO of Avista Adventist Hospital in Louisville, Colorado. He shared his experience as the son of Cuban immigrants and his journey into healthcare with Sara Cuervo and Lolita Grandbois.
Sara was surprised to hear Isaac talk about how higher positions often have less control but thought it made sense because “you have to rely on others, have trust, and allow for nuance to be a good leader.” Lolita enjoyed the opportunity to hear about Isaac’s journey to CEO “and getting to know him on a personal level.”
Koel Thomae is the Co-Founder of Noosa Yoghurt. She shared her story of building a yoghurt company with Bella Chang and Paul Masters.
Paul found it interesting to “hear from someone with an outside perspective on what it’s like to live in the United States.” And Bella was struck by the importance of building a strong team. Even though Koel didn’t have a background in dairy, “she paired up with someone with dairy experience and she was in charge of the business and marketing.”
Each of the leaders’ What I Know Now interviews highlights the uniqueness of success. We’re proud our Student Advisory Board leaders could bring out each leader’s individual story and learn so much in the process.
In this edition, we hear from the first Colorado African-American member of Congress, the first female Boulder city manager, a healthcare CEO envisioning healthcare as an industry of service, and the founder of a wildly successful yoghurt company.
What do a Google engineer, a Colorado House representative, and two entrepreneurs have in common?
Our Student Advisory Board recently set out to learn from leaders in our local community about how high school impacted their own lives and careers. These virtual interviews discussed favorite classes, important life skills, and issues such as equity, allowing students to glean key insights from a diverse group of community leaders.
How do their high school experiences contrast with those of current students in the Boulder Valley School District? What advice can they offer students navigating personal and academic growth as they look toward their futures?
And of course: what do a Google engineer, a Colorado House representative, and two entrepreneurs have in common? Each community leader emphasized the importance of written communication skills as critical to their success, one insisting that a pen and paper should travel with you everywhere you go!
Below, our students provide a glimpse into four of these conversations, and you’ll find links to each individual interview.
Bhavna Chhabra is the Payment Engineering Director and Boulder Site Lead for Google. She was interviewed by Noah Mollerstuen and Maya Clements. Bhavna shared her unique journey to engineering, emphasizing the importance of hard work and communication skills.
Noah’s favorite part of the interview “was the opportunity to get advice from an industry leader on what students in our position can do to create a more equitable and inclusive school system,” while Maya enjoyed learning what it’s like to hold an influential position, and hearing “ about the trials and tribulations that come with the path when you’re a minority in your field.”
Justin Gold is the Founder of Justin’s, a local natural foods company. He was interviewed by Lindsey Kendall and Mattie Pape. Justin shared his entrepreneurial journey and the importance of surrounding oneself with diverse and smart people who will challenge your thoughts and ideas.
Lindsey was surprised to hear Justin share two important skills for running a business: positivity and curiosity: “Those are the things you are told when you are young, but to know he still thought those were important was surprising.” Mattie enjoyed hearing “how his unique experiences shaped his company. This taught me that all of our unique interests can grow into something big.”
KC Becker is a former Colorado state representative and Speaker in the Colorado House of Representatives. She shared her high school experiences and political journey with our students, Abby Cohen and James Clemson.
When talking about “how to encourage diversity in both government and at school, she told us Colorado is one of two states with a majority female legislature, and emphasized how diversity can only be achieved through active effort,” says James. Abby says it was “an amazing opportunity. I really value her viewpoints … even though we disagreed on a few things.”
Pete Estler is an innovative tech entrepreneur who founded and served as CEO of Quintess, was Chief Executive Officer of dbINTELLECT Technologies, and later founded and served as CEO of MatchLogic. He shared his entrepreneurial lens and perspective with Emery Jansen and Roane Edwards.
Emery found “it was incredibly fascinating to research our interviewee and brainstorm questions that would truly challenge him…Pete recognized the importance of diversity of thought, meeting people from all walks of life … and he emphasized that experiencing life and exiting the bubble Boulder County kids live in is vital to gaining perspective and learning how to better collaborate.”
In this edition, we hear from the first Colorado African-American member of Congress, the first female Boulder city manager, a healthcare CEO envisioning healthcare as an industry of service, and the founder of a wildly successful yoghurt company.
What do a Google engineer, a Colorado House representative, and two entrepreneurs have in common?
Our Student Advisory Board is a fun and collaborative leadership experience for Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) high school students.
We launched this program in 2019 to help advise our efforts and guide our investments. Our Student Advisory Board brings together students currently enrolled in Boulder Valley’s 13 high schools to share their perspectives and insights and create an initiative focused on an issue of importance to them.
A new leadership opportunity for the 2020-2021 Student Advisory Board involves conducting interviews with members of our local community. Pairs of students are preparing questions and sitting down for virtual conversations with a diverse group of local leaders to answer the question: What do you know now?
Looking back from high school to the present, what stands out? What lessons or insights do you want to share with students? And what advice can you offer as students navigate issues from equity to diversity to innovation in public schools?
Students will be interviewing leaders from a variety of industries, including government, tech, natural foods, and healthcare. Each interview will be a little different, but we hope you’ll be inspired by their honest conversations about topics important to our students and maybe learn something new.
Edition 1:
Edition 2:
In this edition, we hear from the first Colorado African-American member of Congress, the first female Boulder city manager, a healthcare CEO envisioning healthcare as an industry of service, and the founder of a wildly successful yoghurt company.
What do a Google engineer, a Colorado House representative, and two entrepreneurs have in common?
Yes, the Impact on Education Student Advisory Board is back in session, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome our largest SAB team ever! This year’s group comprises 16 BVSD students, passionate about “talking school” and eager to use their experiences and observations to make positive changes within both their schools and the school district in general.
As we heard last night during our first meeting of the year, students are excited to “improve the educational system regarding inequality and inequity,” as one student put it, along with making the most of this great opportunity to “be a platform for minority students at Boulder High School,” as another responded to why she joined SAB. Other reasons for joining range from personal experiences with physically disabled students and wanting to expand those moments for other students to desires to make their schools that much more effective for their younger siblings. One student even boldly stated, “I want to have uncomfortable conversations because uncomfortable conversations are the most important ones to have.” Well, here we go!
For the first time since we started this program, the SAB members represent all four grade levels from freshman to senior, five of the BVSD high schools, and communities truly spanning the district from Nederland to Erie to Superior. As we gather monthly, we will hear from students whose concerns range from the lack of equity in student opportunity and access to the addressing of sexual assault to classism to prioritizing a voice for underrepresented student groups, such as special education students and LGBTQ students. And we will see these student activists collaborate with each other and with us to drive their own efforts and to support BVSD in their striving to improve.
Changes made to the program this year include all remote meetings and a new leadership opportunity involving interviews with community leaders. We can’t wait to see how these students run with what we have planned and what they bring to the table!
Welcome 2020-2021 Impact on Education Student Advisory Board!
info@impactoneducation.org
303.524.3865
Impact on Education
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