Toerres represents her peers

Palmdale Learning Plaza seventh-grader Lucy Torres represents thousands of students as the student Board member on the Palmdale School District Board of Education.

The 13-year-old took the oath of office in December 2020. She will serve through December 2021.

“I wanted to be a voice for the kids who couldn’t speak up for themselves,” she said.

Torres balances multiple responsibilities. She serves as secretary for her school’s Associated Student Body, is an award-winning Mathlete and enjoys participating in Palmdale Learning Plaza’s STEM Club.

“Lucy is an exceptional student, who independently manages her responsibilities, makes the time for excelling at her studies, and is committed to her involvement in her extracurricular activities,” sixth-grade Teacher Melanie Montgomery wrote.

She recommended Lucy for the Student Board member position.

“Lucy has a delightful personality and is appreciated by anyone who is lucky enough to work alongside her,” Montgomery wrote. “She is empathetic and understanding. She communicates and works very well with her teachers and peers. Lucy’s avid involvement at the Palmdale Learning Plaza makes it an even better place to learn and grow.”

In a separate email, she wrote that Torres is not the kind to toot her own horn.

“She’s quiet but it’s a thoughtful, focused quiet,” the email says. “She’s genuinely gentle and kind, and maybe one of the most empathetic children I have ever taught. She seems to see right through to how others are honestly doing. She’s the type of friend that sidles up to the peer that is having troubles, or is sad, and just sits. Just so that her friend can feel sure of someone beside him, or her. Whoever, really. Lucy is a Good Kid to all.”

At the time of her interview, Torres had attended four “virtual” Board meetings.

She reads the agenda before each meeting, so she has a better understanding of what the Palmdale School District trustees will hear and consider for adoption.

“It takes a lot of work just to pass one thing at a time,” Torres said when asked what she had learned so far.

She learned about the School Board opportunity from her Social Studies Teacher Linda Henry, who also serves as the ASB director for Palmdale Learning Plaza.

“Lucy is such a dedicated student!” Henry wrote in an email. “She is a strong yet quiet leader in class and in extra curricular activities (of course, pre-COVID).”