My parents came to the United States with third grade educations, tremendous work ethic, loving hearts and the hope for a better life. Decades later, I was elected President of the California School Boards Association, a position I couldn’t have achieved without their support and a strong public school education. Every major development between my parent’s arrival in this country and my tenure as CSBA President is a testament to what’s possible in American life. Yet, until stories like mine are the norm and not the exception, we have more work to do.

For the past 16 years, I’ve been privileged to network, learn from and collaborate with an incredible group of leaders who are dedicated to the same ideals and driven to ensure that every student has a chance at a good education and success in college, career and civic life. My time as a Santa Clara Unified School District trustee and CSBA member has exposed me to so many people who believe, as I do, that we must destroy the idea of demography as destiny. In its place, we are striving to build an education system where a student’s zip code is not predictive of their outcomes and where each generation of children has more opportunity than the one before it.

This is the project of a lifetime and the lessons I’ve gained from CSBA have been invaluable in my efforts to advance the work. Like many of our new colleagues who will gather in Anaheim this December, my first exposure to CSBA was the Annual Education Conference and Trade Show (AEC). I attended just a few short weeks after my election, unsure what to expect and uncertain about my ability to navigate the challenges awaiting me. Attending AEC as a fresh-faced trustee was like drinking from a firehose of information — and I haven’t stopped learning since.

There are no easy answers to the major questions facing us as school board members, but once thing is sure: if you don’t put in the work, if you don’t keep an open mind, if you don’t cultivate a relentless curiosity about education policy, finance and law, you won’t position yourself to support student success. Fortunately, CSBA exists to provide the information, resources, programs, events and services that can enhance our knowledge as governance professionals and refine our practice as stewards of the public school system.

It’s been one of the great honors of my life to serve in a leadership role at CSBA, not only as President, but as a participant in numerous committees and as a rank-and-file member, because that’s when my need was the greatest. As I transition out of the school board role into a new form of service as a Santa Clara city councilmember, I will retain the lessons gathered from the board room and the classroom, from Masters in Governance^® and AEC, and from passionate conversations with education leaders from across the state.

My 16 years of experience as a school board member have only been reinforced in the most positive way by my time as CSBA President and the opportunities I’ve had to see the good work our members are doing, from Shasta to San Diego and everywhere between. Wherever board members are putting students first, they are living up to the awesome responsibility of this job, which is, above all, a calling. So, I urge you to maintain the commitment that is so characteristic of school board members.

We became school board members out of a deep sense of love, duty, service and purpose — and those qualities have never been more desperately needed. Our students are yearning for a better opportunity and looking to you to provide the conditions that allow them to fulfill their potential. That’s a daunting prospect and it’s incredibly hard work, but it’s some of the most important work there is, and our kids are worth fighting for. I know you will continue to demonstrate your dedication and passion for uplifting our children, our communities and our country. I wish you the best and bid you farewell and godspeed!