Student Advisory Board

As the new year begins, SUSD’s Student Advisory Board continues to make progress on its Wildly Important Goals (WIGs), elevate student voice through Teen Town Halls, and share student perspectives with district officials.

In December, our Technology and Communications subcommittee began working on their second WIG, filming their first ever student-led SUSD Source Podcast, showcasing the student-leaders making SAB happen every month. In their first episode, students discuss how they joined the board, what issues they feel most drawn towards, and what their favorite SUSD memories are. As spring semester gets underway, SAB will continue to film these episodes, spreading awareness of the diverse and integral opportunities throughout our district. 

Looking towards the future, SAB students are beginning to solidify their site-specific plans for each school’s Teen Town Hall. Every year, every high school campus plans a uniquely structured event, where students are invited to bring their own questions, concerns, and celebrations to a panel of district officials. Here, SAB students share the opportunity with classmates and facilitate a discussion that focuses on their school’s most pertinent topics. 

At the final monthly meeting before winter break, SAB students spent time with members of the Community Celebrating Diversity (CCD) board, brainstorming ways to increase student participation in the 26th Annual Youth Voices event, which honors and celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The goal was to identify meaningful ways to engage Scottsdale teens in diversity and equity programming connected to the event.

Eager to ensure student voices are part of the ongoing conversation about fostering an inclusive Scottsdale, students shared ideas to make events more accessible, engaging, and exciting for both students and families. With SUSD’s MLK Jr. event approaching on January 15, SAB members are preparing to attend the day’s programming and share their perspectives with an even broader group of Scottsdale leaders.

As 2026 begins, students on the board are looking forward to an exciting second semester. With two Student Advisory Board presentations scheduled before the Governing Board in February and May, the board will have plenty of updates to share.

Fiona Riley, SAB President

Learn More at the Source

As the semester comes to a close, the SUSD Student Advisory Board continues to make progress on its goals and strengthen its impact. Through the establishment of the Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) and its November 18th Governing Board presentation, students from across the district are working hard to ensure their voices are heard.

In November, the board met to finalize its WIGs and work alongside its respective SUSD officials in sub-committees. This year, SAB established four sub-committees: College and Career Readiness; Student and School Culture; Safety, Security, and Facilities; and Technology and Communications. So far, students have discussed everything from dress code and campus diversity to rainy-weather facility issues and 9/11 education initiatives. 

At the November meeting, the students on SAB aligned on their final 2025-2026 WIGs, listed below by sub-committee topic.

College and Career Readiness: 

• Implement at least 1 career-focused lunch program at each school, aligned with student-identified interests based on survey data. 

Student and School Culture: 

• By May of 2026, SAB will establish a “shadowing program” at each SUSD high school, to bolster enrollment and allow prospective students a first-hand view of life on our campuses. 

Safety, Security, and Facilities:

• Halve the number of reported collisions across all high schools before the end of the school year. Planning on implementing posters, or other forms of education, to parents and students regarding basic driving etiquette in parking lots and who they are endangering. 
• Increase student participation in facilities-related surveys to 40% from each high school student body so that we can accurately identify what needs to be fixed. 

Technology and Communications: 

• By the end of the 25-26 school year, establish a “marketing package,” including videos, podcasts, social media posts, and in-person events, for each SUSD high school campus to showcase diversity of opportunities.
• Film 1 SUSD Source podcast, run by SAB students, per month. 

Beyond the MDA, four SAB students presented at the November Governing Board meeting about key topics and goals for the semester ahead. During this presentation, students clarified discussions with the board and expressed their most pressing concerns from the year’s meetings. SAB will appear again in February and May to present their progress on their WIGs and identify any new areas for celebration and growth.

SAB looks forward to an exciting second semester, filled with more monthly meetings and site-specific Teen Town Halls. In the new year, SAB will continue to encourage civic engagement and contribute to SUSD’s inclusive, responsive learning community.

Student Advisory Board President 

SUSD’s Student Advisory Board Hosts Second Monthly Meeting

SUSD’s Student Advisory Board (SAB) held its second monthly meeting this October, bringing together student representatives from all five high schools to discuss key topics with Superintendent Dr. Menzel, elect new board leaders, and launch the first subcommittee meetings of the 2025–26 school year.

During the meeting, students engaged in their customary Q&A session with Dr. Menzel and welcomed two members of the Communities Celebrating Diversity (CCD) board. Together, they explored ways to increase student engagement in CCD programming and shared perspectives on the importance of maintaining a diverse and interconnected Scottsdale community.

In addition to insightful discussion, October’s SAB meeting also included annual board elections. Each high school elected one Senator, and the full board selected a President Elect. Congratulations to our 2025–26 SAB Senators:

• Arcadia: Kinsey Hunkins
• Chaparral: Olivia Dougherty
• Coronado: Lindy Richards
• Desert Mountain: Siddhanth Gupta
• Saguaro: Aashni Sahai

A big congratulations to Desert Mountain’s Matthew Lair, the newly elected President Elect! 

The meeting concluded with SAB’s first subcommittee sessions of the year. SUSD officials joined students to introduce themselves and begin developing the board’s Wildly Important Goals (WIGs), which will guide future meetings and inform the board’s presentations to the SUSD Governing Board.

Looking ahead, the Student Advisory Board will hold its third meeting this month and deliver its first Governing Board presentation of the year on November 18. As the fall semester continues, SAB members remain dedicated to strengthening student engagement, building community connections, and amplifying the voices of students across Scottsdale Unified.

Fiona Riley 
Saguaro High School 
SAB President

Learn More at the Source

Scottsdale Unified School District’s Student Advisory Board, composed of students from all five high schools in the district, meets monthly to discuss student achievements and identify areas for improvement. It’s an opportunity for students to speak directly with Superintendent Dr. Menzel, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Dr. Sackos, and other SUSD officials. 

August marked SAB’s first meeting of the school year, where they discussed an array of topics like: AI in classrooms, recent board legislation, and the updated code of conduct. At the end of the meeting, students broke into subcommittees and began brainstorming this year’s Wildly Important Goals (WIGs).

During every monthly meeting, students have a lengthy Q&A period with Dr. Menzel. They can ask questions, as well as voice suggestions to the superintendent himself. After this, there is a discussion period, where students from all five schools come together to share what concerns they may have and what solutions work for their learning community. Additionally, every meeting includes time for student subcommittee meetings, where students join SUSD officials to discuss specific interest groups. Last year, two of the five subcommittees were the 'Climate and Culture' group and the 'Facilities' group, highlighting the diverse interests of students.

This school year, new subcommittees will meet to establish WIGs, which will shape SAB agendas, guest speakers, and the ways student voice influences SUSD. With monthly meetings and three presentations to the school board, Student Advisory Board members will be busy making an impact this school year!

Fiona Riley 
Saguaro High School 
SAB President

SUSD’s Student Advisory Board, composed of students from all five high schools in the district, meets every month for an open discussion centered around the successes and challenges faced at the student level. At each meeting, students also get the opportunity to share their concerns with and ask questions directly to Dr. Menzel! So far this year, topics have been wide-ranging: AI in schools, facilities questions, and vaping, to name a few. SAB students have been working in their subcommittees, developing strategies to achieve the Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) they set in the fall. Although we often discuss areas for improvement, we also like to reflect upon what is going well at school. This month, we’d like to bring attention to one of the most special parts of SUSD: the teachers! To conclude the school year, SAB leaders talk about the teachers who have been incredibly meaningful to them, both as students and people. So many of us cannot imagine our school experiences without our favorite teachers. 

Harper Helfman, SAB Senator for Desert Mountain High School, chose Ms. Murray:

I have had the privilege of attending Ms. Murray's math classes for three years of my high school experience. Starting in Algebra II Honors as a freshman to finishing Differential Equations as a senior, Ms. Murray has more than prepared me to approach any math problem that comes my way. In addition to being a friend to all students before a teacher, Ms. Murray makes math fun. Her sheer passion when explaining eigenvalues or separation of variables is simply contagious and challenges all students to find the joy in calculation. She even made Calculus Camp one of my favorite memories from high school. In fact, Ms. Murray somehow made my IB class excited to write our 18-page internal assessment and was incredibly supportive of our topic ideas. Teaching both IB and AP curriculums, Ms. Murray gives each student the attention needed for them to succeed. She is meticulous in preparing her students for exams and makes them feel confident. While I am saddened that I will be leaving her classroom next year, I am grateful and proud to have been one of her students. Thank you, Ms. Murray!

Avery Liu, SAB Senator for Arcadia High School, chose Mr. Guy:

Some of my favorite memories from high school are in Speech & Debate with Mr. Guy. The team is always supportive and encouraging of each other, and Debate has made a huge impact on my life. Thanks to Mr. Guy, I have improved my public speaking skills, political knowledge, and involvement in the school. I have had the opportunity to meet so many people from different schools at tournaments. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Guy, for everything!

Victoria Bourgeois-Conti, SAB President, chose Mrs. Rand:

I’ve had so many great SUSD teachers, but my absolute favorite memories take me all the way back to fourth grade with Mrs. Rand at Hopi Elementary School. Never before had a teacher been so interested in and encouraging of what each of her students were passionate about. She truly brought excitement to all that we learned and cultivated a classroom environment centered around curiosity. We also had so much fun with her. She was kind, warm, and very funny, and we all loved her. She went along with each of our personal quirks and gave us countless opportunities to make choices of our own, instead of following rigid rules. Getting to have Mrs. Rand was such a privilege, and my greatest takeaway from her class must be that joy and curiosity around learning are natural to us as humans. We love to learn, and when we remember that, we also realize that the possibilities of what we can learn and attain mastery over are endless. Thank you, Mrs. Rand, for everything: you truly made an impact. 

Thank you to not only these wonderful teachers but to all our teachers who have brought students joy and laughter and provided them support throughout their academic journeys. You are so greatly cherished, and all the Student Advisory Board wants to extend their gratitude to you. 

As for SAB, as the school year approaches an end, SAB members will continue working to make progress toward their WIGS, likely continuing many of their efforts into the next school year. It’s been a great year, and we will celebrate our seniors this month. Most of all, we look excitedly forward to the year ahead under the leadership of President-Elect Fiona Riley!   

Learn More at the Source