Puyallup HS Junior to Serve on Regional Student Board

Earlier this month, Puyallup High School Junior Maricella Gonzalez was selected to serve as a Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) Student Board Representative.

According to the PSESD website, student board representatives serve as the student voice in the King and Pierce County Regions, attending and participating in all regular and special board meetings, and study sessions. Gonzalez immediately saw that applying to be a PSESD Student Board Representative was an excellent way to give back to the community after learning about it from a friend.

"This is a perfect opportunity for me to get a hands-on feel for what's happening in my community and really give a voice for students," Gonzalez said. "Having those extra voices (on the board) really gives insight to real-life students, what they're experiencing and how different it is from a parent or somebody who works on the board or who's older from a different generation."

Gonzalez says that at first, becoming an official community representative for the Puyallup School District felt daunting, but she settled in utilizing her voice to bring important education topics in Washington State and across the country to the forefront.

"At first, it's a little bit nerve-racking to speak what you're thinking and speak your mind on topics that you really don't get to say because you're a child or a teenager," Gonzalez said. "As time goes on, it's definitely an experience that you get to say what needs to be said, interact with people who are important to your community and other students who may not understand what's going on in their district, and getting to understand their point of views on things is wonderful."

Along with attending Pierce College as a Running Start Student, Gonzalez is involved in numerous extracurricular activities:

• Varsity Debate
• Public Relations Coordinator for Debate Leadership
• Water Polo
• ACE Mentorship Program Participant
• Science, Technology,  Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) Girls Institute VR Challenge Participant

Join us in congratulating Maricella on this amazing achievement!