Adairsville High School Junior Vivian Reyes earned herself a seat at the state superintendent’s table! She was chosen, along with 73 other Georgia students, to serve on State School Superintendent Richard Woods’ 2024-2025 Student Advisory Council.
“I applied with a clear mission,” said Reyes. “I want to address the often-overlooked challenges students silently endure, such as mindset and mentality struggles. More importantly, I aim to amplify underrepresented voices, a crucial aspect of the Council's mission, and advocate for actionable solutions.”
As part of the application process, more than 1,500 students across the state wrote essays addressing a wide variety of topics in education. Council members were then selected based on the strength of their essay answers.
Throughout this academic year, Reyes and the Student Advisory Council will meet with Superintendent Woods to provide feedback on state policies, serve as the Superintendent’s ambassadors to their respective schools, and participate in service projects to benefit the community.
“Advocacy has always been important to me,” said Reyes. “It began with my role in HoPe (Hispanic Organization Promoting Education), where I have proudly served as president of an award-winning chapter for nearly three years. This position has allowed me to connect with students and families on a cultural level as we navigated the education system together. I gained significant experience in understanding and addressing the unique challenges faced by Hispanic and Latino students and their families, particularly those related to language barriers.”
Reyes, who ranks among the top five percent of her class, is also an AHS Magnet student, a member of Student Government and Women in STEM Excel, and an integral part of educational non-profit organizations such as Intercultural Fest and Los Niños.
Reyes’ is also a scholarship award winner. Recently, she was granted a full scholarship to attend the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) NextGen program in Washington, D.C. She was one of only two students in Georgia selected to represent first-generation Hispanics.
Additionally, during her time at CHCI, Reyes had the opportunity to meet and learn from Senator Raphael Warnock’s staff, gaining valuable insights into our nation’s political landscape.
“I am dedicated to pushing for the changes we need in education and eager to collaborate with other students who share this passion,” added Reyes. “By learning from each other's experiences, we can create a powerful collective impact. The future truly rests in the hands of the youth, and I am excited to work with others to shape it. As my mentors and parents have always told me, ‘We have to be the ones to create a pathway for future generations, porque si no lo hacemos, ¿quién lo va a hacer?'