Hamden High Junior Joins School Board as Student Rep

Most students may view attending monthly Board of Education as a chore, but for Hamden High School junior Leah Kesselman, it's a right she fought hard to obtain.

Kesselman joins Hamden High School senior Christopher Elder as a student representative on the board for the 2011-12 school year.

"When she applied for the position she went through rigorous interviews," Supt. of Schools Fran Rabinowitz said. "She worked with her classmates to secure the nomination and met with me over the summer."

And Leah stood out from other students, Rabinowitz said.

"She is an outstanding student, the junior class secretary and an honors student," she said. "She does tremendous community service work and volunteers at the Alice Peck summer camp."

Her predecessor, , started a tutoring program at Church Street School, and Leah also volunteered there, Rabinowitz said.

"I think she is an excellent addition to the board," she said.

Student representatives have no voting rights on the board but have the opportunity to comment and ask questions on the issues the board addresses, as well as voice student concerns. This is the second year student representatives have had a place at the board table.

"I think it's very interesting and very exciting," Leah said after her first board meeting last week. "I'm interested in politics and I would like to have some influence."

"It's a great experience," her classmate Chris Elder said. It's his second and final year as a student rep on the board. "You get to see how hard the board works."

Board chairman Michael D'Agostino urged Leah to contribute to the board's discussions.

"Don't be afraid to ask questions," he told her. "As Chris will tell you, sometimes we go a mile a minute and we assume everyone knows what we're talking about."