Local Students Shine in State-Level Campaign

By Jillian Daley

Every year, the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) chooses to interview 100 children, 25 students each from four lucky school districts — and this year, North Marion got to be one of them.

The Promise of Oregon — not to be confused with the college scholarship fund called the Oregon Promise Grant — is an Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) campaign to celebrate our future, focusing on our children and teens. The OSBA contracts with Blue Chalk, a media strategy company, to arrange interviews and a photo shoot, which took place last week at the High School and at the Intermediate School. 

North Marion Senior Grace Davenport said the OSBA’s process for the campaign intrigued her: “I like the idea that they’re taking kids from different parts of Oregon and showing: This is what the future might look like.”

The OSBA  also checks in with School Boards, interviewing North Marion Chair Glenn Holum and Vice Chair Heidi Torian.

“We are honored to have had the chance to participate in the Promise of Oregon campaign this year,” Torian said. “The Promise is a perfect opportunity to show the world why we are so proud of our students and of simply being a part of our close-knit and caring North Marion community.”

The OSBA now plans to compile the answers on its website and present them at its Annual Convention in November. Students mainly fielded one question: Why are you the Promise of Oregon? Here’s how some of the 25 local Promise students said they answered that question:

High School Students

• Yadira Romero Navarro, senior: “I want to be an example to the next generation of Hispanic and Latino girls that anything is possible, no matter your background.”
• Junior Leo Medina said he dreams of helping the world through biomedical engineering and robotics, both of which he plans to study in college. He envisions building artificial hearts to help people live longer.
• Junior Kira Bonser said that s“the world is full of so much conflict,” and she wants to help bring people together as a peace maker.
• Junior Andy Sanchez Alvarado, a future first-generation college student, said he wants to show his loved ones all that’s possible, despite the difficulties they have faced: “We have all these problems, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do well in school.”

Intermediate School Students

• Jenny Villalta-Funez, fifth-grader: “It’s good helping people. I want to be a doctor to take care of the people that have cancer.”
• Natalia Alfaro-Calvillo, fifth-grader: “I want to be a teacher to help other people learn.”
• Stella Arreola, fourth-grader: “I want to be a zoologist to take care of animals and the ecosystem.”
• Gianna Rose, fifth-grader: I’d like to be a softball player or a vet because I really like animals.”
• Emmett Walters, fifth-grader: “I want to be a drill sergeant, so I can be in command.”

To share stories on the North Marion School District, email Communications Specialist Jillian Daley at jillian.daley@nmarion.k12.or.us.