GLENDALE : Hoover High Junior to Serve on Board

Suzi Ajalat, a junior at Hoover High School, will become the second student representative to the Board of Education in the history of the Glendale Unified School District next week.

Ajalat, who will be sworn in by school board President Sharon Beauchamp at a meeting Tuesday, was selected this week by the district’s Student Advisory Council, a group of 10 student leaders from Crescenta Valley, Daily, Glendale and Hoover high schools.

She will succeed Armen Panossian, a former Glendale High student and now a freshman at Stanford University, who was the district’s first student representative during the past two school years.

“I hope to do my job well. I will do my best to bring the opinions, concerns and needs of the students to the attention of the board,” Ajalat said, adding that she is “very excited” about her new position.

Under state law, student representatives sit on the board in a non-voting capacity.

Ajalat can participate in all public meetings of the board, however, and her role will be to communicate the students’ perspective on issues to the board.

Hoover High officials said Ajalat is the school’s student vice president. In that capacity, she presides over the meetings of the Hoover Legislature, a student council with 138 members.

She was president of the sophomore class last year and has a near-perfect grade-point average.

Her academic schedule includes several advanced placement courses, which can qualify students for college credits. She is a member of the French club and the swimming team.

Ajalat said she plans to attend a university after graduation and may pursue a career in government.