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Date: 11/9/2023
WEST SPRINGFIELD — West Springfield High School seniors Hannah Debian and Falak Kansara have much in common. They are class officers, members of the school’s community service club and the National Honor Society. One other thing they share: representing their fellow students at meetings of the town’s elected boards.
Debian and Kansara, both 17, were selected by WSHS Principal Patrick Danby from among several seniors. It means extra work and time away from other things, but they are excited about being part of town government.
“I think councilors like knowing what’s happening in their school system,” said Debian, the representative to the Town Council. “There are a lot of school events that we definitely could have support for from the town, including sports games or chorus concerts, or even fundraisers. It’s another way to get information out to the general public about what’s happening at schools.”
Kansara said she volunteered to be the School Committee’s student representative because she felt her involvement in many school activities would make her a good fit.
“I thought this would be a great opportunity,” she said. “I have friends from sports and advanced classes, as well as students who don’t take as many advanced classes and prefer other extracurriculars instead of sports.”
Debian has only been to a few meetings so far, because she’s captain of the girls volleyball team and some games have been on the same day as a council meeting. She said councilors have been very understanding about that.
“Councilors have been amazing. They really have an interest in me and don’t treat me as just another student representative. They’re super nice, super welcoming — even offering to help with college things. I love being there and reporting to them,” Debian said.
Her experience of being seated with the council is much different than Debian had expected after watching the televised meetings. She said she didn’t realize how important it is for residents to share their concerns or issues with the council.
“Councilors really care about people in our town and what they want. When residents go up to the microphone during Citizen Speak Time, councilors really take into consideration what a person says. Councilors take things into consideration and don’t just push them aside,” said the West Side native.
For Kansara, being on the School Committee has exceeded her expectations.
“I was just wowed by how much goes on behind the scenes,” she said. “I knew there was a lengthy process to run an entire district, but it was interesting to see everything that goes into doing it. This has been an eye-opening experience for me.”
She was surprised by the patience and welcoming nature of everyone on the committee.
“I wasn’t expecting any hostility, but they’ve been very warm, welcoming and inviting to me at their meetings,” Kansara said.
To prepare for their meetings, Debian and Kansara meet with Danby prior to each meeting. Debian keeps track of all school events and sports activities to include in her reports.
“I also have the background on activities and dates they will be happening,” she said. “It makes me more attentive to what’s happening at the school.”
So far, Kansara hasn’t had to invest too much time to fulfill her committee duties.
“I’m usually well aware of what’s going on at school, so that helps. I may have to spend 30 minutes connecting with people to see what’s going on with a club or sports team. It’s not too time-consuming. The committee is very respectful of my time. They understand my full-time job is being a student.”
Debian said it can be a challenge to balance her academic work and her extracurricular and sports activities with her new responsibilities on the Town Council.
“I’ve had to get really good at managing my time, because I’m involved with so much. But I always find a way to do everything. I love being on the council, so I make the time,” said Debian, who wants to pursue a career in the medical field.
Kansara said she enjoys being part of the committee: “I like seeing everything, I like to know what’s going on and I like to know that my voice matters. That’s important to me because other students are counting on it. Even though the whole School Committee is on their side, they also know there’s s someone else on their side, someone of their age with similar interest who can express what students need.”
She said it’s important that the committee know about all the hard work students are doing.
“It’s good to let them know about things happening in the school from a student perspective. That way, they can hear it directly from a student,” said Kansara, whose career interest is in computer science.
Sitting on the School Committee also has increased Kansara’s understanding of what the committee does.
“As a student, I always knew there was a lot going on behind the scenes, but now I’m even more aware of decisions the committee makes. And when I see peers having opposing opinions, I try to explain to them that what the committee does is really in the best interest for us.”
Debian’s parents are enthusiastic about her new role, watching meetings she attends — even recording them to send to relatives who live in different states and overseas.
“My parents also give me tips and suggestions — such as ‘read slower’ or ‘don’t sit too far back from the microphone.’ It’s all good criticism and done out of love,” Debian said.
Kansara, who moved from India to West Springfield when she was a year old, said her parents are very proud of her role on the School Committee.
“Back in India, my family participated in our local governments, making school systems better. It’s really a full-circle moment. They’re happy I’m able to do such things at such a young age,” she said.