The Halton District School Board (HDSB) has announced secondary school students Sultan Alimzhanov and Shrena Sribalan as the board’s student trustees for the 2023-24 school year.
Both students were successful in their bid for the role on Feb. 24 through an online and in-person election with 23 candidates running and more than 2,500 students casting votes.
Alimzhanov is a Grade 11 student at Abbey Park High School in Oakville and Sribalan is a Grade 11 student at Craig Kielburger Secondary School in Milton. The new term of office officially begins on Aug. 1.
"Being elected as one of the successful candidates to represent over 66,000 students in our board has been an unparalleled experience,” said Alimzhanov. “I feel a great sense of excitement and anticipation for the work Shrena and I will be able to contribute to enhancing HDSB in the upcoming school year.
"I am deeply grateful to my friends, family and teachers who have provided unwavering support throughout this journey. I am honoured and grateful to all the students in the HDSB who placed their trust in me to safeguard their interests. I am optimistic about the future of this school board, and I am confident that we will achieve great things together."
Sribalan said ever since she heard about the student trustee role in elementary school, she "instantly fell in love" with the opportunity to lead change in the HDSB.
“After years of involving myself in the HDSB Student Senate initiatives and hearing the voices and concerns of hundreds of students, I can't express in words how humbled, grateful and honoured I am that my dream has come true.
"I'm unbelievably excited to work with Sultan, board members and most importantly, the students to ensure the HDSB is always striving to support every student in reaching their potential throughout their schooling and beyond. After watching my predecessors voice student concerns and reach immense heights at the board level, I am excited to see where this role takes me."
In recognizing the results of the election, HDSB trustees welcomed Alimzhanov and Sribalan to their roles for the 2023-24 school year.
"The trustees of the Halton District School Board deeply value student voice," said chair Margo Shuttleworth.
"A student trustee is a representative of the students at the board table, they vocalize the opinions of the students and strive to make change. We are excited to welcome Sultan and Shrena to the board table, and we know they will respectfully and equitably represent their fellow students with passion and excitement. The board of trustees look forward to working alongside our new student trustees in making positive change happen in Halton.”
