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Student trustees 'make a difference' at Simcoe County schools

Experience has led to 'personal growth' for outgoing student reps
2018-06-20 SCDSB student trustees
The Simcoe County District School Board said farewell to its 2017-18 student trustees Wednesday night. Michele Locke, student trustee mentor, is pictured with, from left, Gabi Millsap, Gillian Hunnisett and Ramneet Kaloti. Nathan Taylor/OrilliaMatters

For the past year, three students have been the voice of thousands of their peers at the Simcoe County District School Board table.

Wednesday night’s board meeting was the last for Gillian Hunnisett, Ramneet  Kaloti and Gabi Millsap. Their term is up, and three new student trustees will be welcomed to the table in August.

“We’ve learned so many applicable lessons that we’re going to take into post-secondary with us,” said Millsap, a Collingwood Collegiate Institute student who represents five schools in the south and west region.

Millsap was on some of her school’s sports teams throughout high school, but she never took on a leadership role. That changed when she was elected by the Student Senate.

“I can see personal growth in myself and in all three of us,” she said.

She feels the students’ voices were heard by school board trustees, and that the student trustees were effective during their term. They managed to bring a “mental health challenge” to various schools, raising awareness and pushing for positive environments. The board is also working on to put into motion the student trustees’ suggestion of a “travelling Student Senate,” taking the senate’s meetings on the road so they are more accessible to more people.

Kaloti admitted she “didn’t know much about the role” of a student trustee, but she read up on it and decided to try it out.

“I thought it would be great to voice the students’ concerns and bring back the board’s position to the students,” said Kaloti, an Innisdale Secondary School student who represents four schools in the central and south region.

Hunnisett, who attends Orillia Secondary School and represents five schools in the north and east region, ran for election because she “wanted to make a difference” and suggest changes.

“I found a position where I could be a part of that change,” she said. “I feel we were effective. There are people at the table who take the student voice seriously.”

One of those people is Michele Locke, student trustee mentor and the board’s trustee for Midland, Severn and Tay.

“I’m a big advocate of the student voice,” Locke said.

“It’s been an honour to be the student trustee mentor again this year. I’m always impressed with how well our student trustees perform each year.”

During Wednesday’s meeting, the board voted to appoint Locke to the position of student trustee mentor for another year.

Student trustees for the 2018-19 year were elected in April. They are Julia Felgner, from Twin Lakes Secondary School (north and east region), Evan Marriott, from Stayner Collegiate Institute (south and west region), and Victoria McMahon, from Bear Creek Secondary School (central and south region).


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Nathan Taylor

About the Author: Nathan Taylor

Nathan Taylor is the desk editor for Village Media's central Ontario news desk in Simcoe County and Newmarket.
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