Sixteen sophomore, junior, and senior high school students from throughout the State of Illinois met for the first time as the State Board’s Student Advisory Council (SAC) for the 2016-17 School Year. The teens convened at the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) offices in Springfield on September 13th and 14th. Members of SAC, who were selected from dozens of applicants, have an opportunity to see the State Board’s policymakers in action and work with them to provide student perspectives and concerns on the state’s education policies. The 2016-17 SAC includes 12 new members and four returning members. The new members of this year’s SAC are:

• Neha Arun, sophomore at Carterville High School
• Oliver Berrara, a junior at North Chicago Community High School
• Evan Blievernicht, a junior at Teutopolis High School
• Stella Cole, a senior at Springfield High School
• Archit Dhar, a senior at Neuqua Valley High School
• Morgan Fleck, a senior at Williamsville High School
• Breeze Keppy, a senior at Paris High School
• Kevin D. Little, a junior at Niles West High School
• Gloria Oladipo, a senior at Whitney M. Young Magnet
• Darcy Palder, a senior at Jones College Prep School
• Sung “Shawn” Park, a senior at Metea Valley High School
• Elizabeth Warden, a junior at Beardstown High School

Each year, the members of SAC select a topic to research in depth and present to the State Board of Education. Applicants to the SAC undergo a competitive review process. Those selected exhibit strong interpersonal skills, the ability to work well in groups, think creatively, and come up with innovative solutions to policy challenges. Most have an avid interest in public service and education policy. Applications for next year’s SAC (school year 2017-18) will be available in spring of 2017. For more information on SAC, visit: http://www.isbe.net/sac/.