The Louis Riel School Division put a call out in September 2022 asking interested students to connect with the LRSD communications department or their school principal to join the Student Advisory Board. On October 25, 2022, the students met for the inaugural meeting.  

“We have representation from all of our high schools on the board,” said Corey Kapilik, Divisional Principal of DEI & Anti-Racism. “The students represent a wide range of diverse perspectives.”  

Once a month, the student-led board meets to generate discussion, act on important topics, and provide feedback and guidance on divisional practices and policies. 

The LRSD Student Advisory Board had the opportunity to introduce themselves and share stories at the LRSD Board of Trustees meeting on March 21, 2023.  

“We decided that we would present through introducing ourselves and through story,” said Corey. “I think through that we are going to address the different aspects that make up this group.”  

Esther Raji and Fissy Olanrewaju are Grade 10 students at Glenlawn Collegiate. Esther said she joined the Student Advisory Board to help give the unheard a voice; it’s a model she brought from the nonprofit organization she started in 2021 with a group of teens. They amplify voices by addressing different social issues and finding ways to spread awareness.  

“I recently joined the Advisory Board because I wanted to be part of a team that was helping create a better future and inspire other adolescents. Just because you look different doesn’t mean your voice matters any less,” said Esther. “Growing up, I didn’t even know I had one.”  

Fissy said she believes this group is the first step to give a voice to the rest of the student body. 

“I’m black,” said Fissy. “That’s the first thing people see when they see me. I’m part of the minority first. I could never be a leader. I could never give a speech to a bunch of important people. I can never, I can never. But here I am.”  

Sesinna Sium is a Grade 11 student at Dakota Collegiate. Sesinna joined the Board to be a voice for young black girls like herself to prevent the feelings of isolation she felt as a person of colour because she knows there is a place for everyone in this society and system.  

“Growing up, I was often the only Black girl in my class and sometimes school,” said Sesinna. “I never saw myself in the people around me, the books I read, and what I learned. It always left me feeling like I didn’t belong.” 

Khalon Ntege, a Grade 12 student at Nelson McIntyre Collegiate, joined the Board because he wanted to help make change at LRSD during his last year of high school. He wants kids across the division to know that no matter their culture, race, gender, age, or background, there are students who will represent their voices and fight for them on the Board.  

“COVID-19 lockdowns set many of us apart during the better of the last three years and left many of my peers, both younger and older than me, with feelings of distress, anxiety, and isolation,” said Khalon. “I remember when I first came to my school in the middle of Grade 10, in the middle of intense lockdowns and isolation, I felt lonely. That is not the case anymore... but a lot of other students still feel left out in the aftermath of COVID-19.” 

“Throughout these past four years, I learned that being a leader was not just about taking on a role that entailed an abundance of responsibility within a committee or group,” said Bonnie Chen, a Grade 12 student at J.H. Bruns Collegiate and Student Advisory Board member. “Instead, being a leader was about asking the critical questions that mattered to both my team and me. We are enabled to be a force for good.” 

This month the Student Advisory Board will focus on the following: 

• Connecting with the Whiteboard Collective - whose primary goal is to remove barriers for marginalized communities across Canada and drive sustainable employment outcomes. 
• Providing feedback on the Employment Equity Policy (First Reading) 
• Providing feedback on the draft Policing in the Context of Schools Policy