Kelloggsville — During a recent Kelloggsville Public Schools Board of Education meeting, discussion of a proposal to change the eighth-grade class trip prompted board members to seek input from the district’s two student representatives.
Cameron Clark didn’t hesitate to give his view.
“They asked me a couple questions about it, and I just brought up how I feel about it,” said Cameron, a senior. “I like going to Mackinac Island way more than I would going to Cedar Point or anything like that.”
Now in its fourth year, the student representative program was created because board members wanted to hear more directly from students, Superintendent Jim Alston said.
“Part of the board’s goals and my goals as superintendent are to raise student voice,” Alston said. “Having student representatives serve as nonvoting board members is a great way to hear what they have going on and to bring student voice to those who make decisions.”
Serving as representatives gives students experience with civic responsibilities, which aligns well with the upperclassman curriculum, Alston said. The role requires maturity, he noted, because students are expected to attend two board meetings each month, serve alongside elected board members and represent the interests of the broader student body rather than their own experiences.
‘Being a student rep, I realized they really do care about our input.’
— Cameron Clark, board of education student representative
For those reasons, the district administration selects one junior and one senior to serve each year. The junior returns as a senior the following year and mentors the incoming junior, who will be selected in the fall. It is a succession plan that has worked well since the program began, Alston said. Such is the case for Cameron, who was appointed as a junior last year and will continue serving this year as a senior.
Alston said the input of representatives like Cameron gives him and board members helpful perspectives on the experiences of today’s student body.
“They have a very unique sense of what their days are like. Times are different than when the board members or I were in school, and it helps us understand what their day-to-day lives are like. This is real-life feedback we can gain from their insights.”
A Chance to Share Their Perspective
Cameron is an active high-schooler: He serves as a drum major for the band, is a member of the National Honor Society, participates in dual enrollment through Grand Rapids Community College and is well-known for his sound and lighting work in the school auditorium.
He learned about the student representative role from Serena Preciado, a 2026 graduate and former drum major, who served alongside Cameron during the 2025-26 school year.
“I just got pulled out of my first hour and was asked if I wanted to do it,” Cameron said. “I think the only thing that could have led to me being selected was that I took a lot of initiative in getting a new lighting system for the school auditorium.”
He has appreciated the opportunity to share with board members how their decisions impact students.
“If the board is considering an idea or something, I’ll tell them how it will benefit the student body, such as the band going to Washington, D.C.,” Cameron said. “I told them how it would benefit students by giving them the opportunity to perform on a national stage.”
Serena said she also remembers the day, during her junior year, when then-Principal Nick Patton asked whether she would be interested in serving on the board. Doing so made her realize “our input is valued,” she said.
“I remember being a middle-schooler, my twin and I were very outspoken, and we always liked to improve things,” she said. “When I became a student representative, I was like, ‘They actually want to listen to us. They actually do want to hear what we have to say,’ and it just felt so nice.”
Serena said she encouraged other students to share concerns and issues they wanted brought to the school board’s attention.
“A lot of people didn’t even know that we had student representatives. So when they found out I was one, they would sometimes come to me to talk about things like backpacks and phones.”
Lending Their Voices, Making a Difference
Student reps follow the same process as staff and board members when bringing items before the board. Before presenting a topic at a meeting, the students meet with Alston to discuss the issue and prepare a presentation. If the matter can be handled directly by a building administrator, Alston directs the student to the appropriate person.
Serena said one example involved questions from her fellow seniors last year about decorating graduation caps. After speaking with Alston, she learned that the decision is made by the high school principal.
Serving on the board helped her realize she could make a meaningful difference in her school and gave her the confidence to advocate for other students, Serena said. It also made her a more effective leader in school activities while helping her become more outgoing and engaged.
“When I became a student rep, I had to speak in front of these adults who made all of these big decisions for our school, and it broke me out of my shell and helped me be a little more professional when I speak.”
Cameron said taking part in board meetings has shown him board members take student concerns seriously, and that meaningful change requires discussion and time.
“In middle school, I was so negative about this school, but by my freshman and sophomore years, I kind of realized I could speak up a little more,” Cameron said. “Being a student rep, I realized they really do care about our input.”
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