COVINA, CA – Eight Covina-Valley Unified School District students will join the Board of Education and serve as a voice for their peers after being sworn in as 2022-23 student board representatives at the Board of Education meeting on Nov. 14.

Every school year, the District will select a student board member and an alternate from each of C-VUSD’s four high schools to participate in the governance process of the district, learn essential democratic skills, and represent and advocate for their peers. South Hills High junior Ahriana Chavez, Northview High senior Princess Espinoza Conde, Covina High junior Ashley Raffaeli, and Fairvalley High senior Bryan Santana were selected as this year’s representatives.

Students interested in running for student board representative seats went through an interview process and then took part in an election at their schools. Junior Thaiz Gonzalez (Northview), senior Sofia Lopez (Fairvalley), junior Aiyana Martel (Covina), and junior Izabella Vazquez (South Hills) will serve as the student board alternates.

“I want to congratulate these eight students on their selection; they are all highly committed and involved members of their school communities,” Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Eminhizer said. “They will continue to represent the District well in their new roles and we are excited to welcome them to the Board of Education.”

Chavez served as ASB president in eighth grade and completed a communications course called “Access to Power” through Landmark Worldwide, a personal and professional growth training and development company, this past summer. After taking an entrepreneurship class at South Hills High, she combined her passions for business and cooking into a side venture selling custom-made cakes and Valentine’s boxes. She plans to continue her education at a university or culinary school after graduation.

Espinoza Conde is a member of Northview’s Renaissance and Fine Arts Media and Entertainment (FAME) programs and has competed on the school’s basketball and track and field teams. She has volunteered for Feed the Hunger and beach clean-ups and attended two leadership camps, the Rotary Youth Leadership Awakening program and Teen Leadership Camp. She enjoys making short films and plans to work at a film production company after high school in pursuit of her dream of becoming a film director.

Raffaeli serves on Covina High’s class council, is a National Society of High School Scholars member, and has been involved in various campus activities, including the Interact, Anatomy, and Latino Culture clubs. She is also the founder and president of the school’s Women in STEM Club and completed the Young Scholars Program and a plant biology lab research internship at UC Davis in the summer of 2022. Raffaeli plans to attend medical school in hopes of becoming a trauma surgeon.

Santana enjoys traveling and photography, and recently practiced civic engagement by volunteering for California’s 2022 General Election on Nov. 8. He has explored many different career pathways and plans to enroll in a trade school or college while working toward a career in HVAC, welding, automotive, agriculture, veterinary science or public service.

PHOTO CAPTION

C-VUSD_STUDENT_BOARD: Covina-Valley Unified School District has selected, from left to right, Ashley Raffaeli, Ahriana Chavez, Princess Espinoza Conde, and Bryan Santana as its new student board members.