Willowbrook senior named to state education advisory council

Willowbrook senior Sally Nijim has been named to the Illinois State Board of Education Student Advisory Council.

Nijim joins 16 other sophomore, junior and seniors from high schools throughout Illinois to form the council, which convened Sept. 22 and 23 in Springfield for its first meeting of the school year. Council members work with the state board and State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith, providing student perspectives and concerns on the state's education policies.

"I applied to join the council because I want to be a voice for the students in my school and community and advocate for policies and positive changes in the state education and schooling system," Nijim said.

Nijim said she underwent a competitive review process to become a member of the council, which included completing an application with two essay questions. She then was selected from the pool of applicants to interview with multiple board members.

"Seeing the acceptance letter was quite a shock for me," Nijim said. "It is a great honor to be part of the council. It will be such an incredible experience to be able to represent Illinois public school students."

Each year, members of the council select a topic they research in depth and present to the state board in the spring. Nijim said her group plans to focus on the topic of teacher evaluations.

"It is my hope our research project will eventually aid in influencing legislation passed in the future, so the Illinois education system can continue to enrich the mind of each student," Nijim said.

The council will meet next Nov. 18 and 19 in Springfield. It was established in 1975, and all sophomores, juniors and seniors who attend an Illinois public high school are eligible to apply.

For information, visit isbe.net/SAC/default.htm.