Oak Harbor School Board will look a little different after its Jan. 26 meeting.
Student member Reilly Richards served her last day on the board Monday, and high school junior Patricia Sablan takes her place starting Feb. 9.
“I learned a lot about how a board will work, and … public speaking, and learning to think about good questions to ask,” Richards said of her time on the board. “It was really fun and it was great to meet all the board members and to get to know them.”
“She’s done an amazing job,” said Superintendent Lance Gibbon, “and I think really brought a lot of richness to the conversation of our school board and helped us make some informed decisions, and we’re just very thankful for the time that she’s had with us, and we want to wish her all the best.”
The school board interviewed three candidates to take over as the student member. They chose Sablan after a brief executive session.
Sablan was a member of student government for three years, starting in eighth grade, and is junior class president at Oak Harbor High School. She is a member of the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, member of Student to Student Club and a member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Island County, and volunteers at Hillcrest Elementary School.
“I want to bring out new ideas and concepts for the district on making the school environment better,” Sablan said.
Sablan said that equality and communication are priorities for her.
Asked what she would change about the high school if given the chance, she said that she would work to increase understanding and respectful treatment of others at the school, particularly in regard to bullying.
“Like all three candidates, Patricia has excellent leadership experience, was very articulate and spoke with confidence,” Gibbon said. “What set her apart was her focus on building a positive student culture through communication, respect and understanding, which aligns strongly with our focus as a district.”
Board President Christine Cribb said all of the students were “incredibly good candidates.”
“In the end, (Sablan) expressed a lot of confidence and professionalism and shared a lot about her direction and how she felt she could make a difference,” Cribb said.
