A member of the governing board for the William S. Hart Union High School District participated in his final board meeting this week as he prepared to enter the next phase of his life.
Student board member Scott Watson, who represented the opinions of the 26,000 students in the Hart district this year, was presented a certificate and a framed portrait at this week’s meeting in honor of his last day on the board.
The mini-ceremony was described as likely the most important matter of the year by board president Steven Sturgeon before board members shared words of encouragement.
“You’re always prepared, you’re always ready,” member Joe Messina added. “If you’re the youth of our future, then I can relax.”
Watson prepared a speech for the meeting detailing his journey from an introverted seventh-grader at Rancho Pico to the poised leader who was described by members of the board on Wednesday.
“It has truly been one of the greatest pleasures of my life so far,” Watson said about his opportunity to speak on behalf of students in the district. He shared that the experience had helped him grow as a person, and he wholeheartedly appreciated the relationships he was able to establish during the year.
The outgoing student board member is set to graduate from Saugus High School on Thursday and plans to attend UC San Diego, where he’ll seek to further his political expertise by majoring in political science.
Watson commended the board and urged its members to always continue fighting for students before struggling to carry his certificate and giant board portrait back to his desk.
Classified staff, members of the audience and Watson’s family rose in unison to offer a roaring ovation.
“In my 18 years here, we’ve had some stellar student board members,” Sturgeon said. “Without exception, you have raised the bar significantly this year.”
