Alyssa Escudero of the Wallkill Senior Class was sworn in as the new student Ex-Officio representative for the Wallkill Board of Education on Wednesday, September 20. Escudero succeeds previous Ex-Officio representative Marco Martini from the Class of 2023.

Recalling the taking of oath of office on Wednesday night, Escudero admitted that she was a little nervous with the proceedings and made sure to read the words correctly. During the regular meeting she was equally surprised to learn all that goes on and how business is conducted within the district.

Escudero and her family previously lived in the Bronx before moving to the Walden area in the middle of her seventh grade year. She went on and attended John G. Borden Middle School before making her way to Wallkill Senior High School. However, her freshman year at the high school was not possible as the first year of her high school career was the first year of COVID-19.

Following a year of online academic instruction and staying home, Escudero was able to enter the high school the following year and get to really know her school community. Escudero is currently serving as the Wallkill Senior Class President, she is a Wallkill Cheerleader and also holds membership in the Spanish Honor Society and National Honor Society. She says she has really appreciated the time at school and the experiences such as football games and getting involved in the community.

“I’ve met so many different kinds of people,” she said. “So many programs and different things that I never knew I could experience if I didn’t move up here.”

Discussing the student representative position, when she was approached by Wallkill Senior High Principal BJ Masopust with the opportunity, it was a totally unexpected surprise.

“I didn’t even know he knew I existed,” she said. “It was a shocker for him to come to me.”

The position of student Ex-Officio representative is a position that is held by a Wallkill student from the senior class that Masopust recommends to the Wallkill Board of Education for the role. “I think that the work that Alyssa does in all the clubs and organizations, and specifically as the class president, work that she does here at school and has done over the past three years, translates directly to being a student board rep,” said Masopust. “She does try and get a feel for what it is that the students are interested in, what things are going well, and then new ideas to bring up.”

Masopust said the position that Escudero is in now is an opportunity to highlight all the good things that are going on in Wallkill or even to come to him to address concerns or to look at a certain issue that may need to be addressed or reviewed.“All the work she does is to bring us as a school forward,” he said. “There was no question in my mind that she was ready for this.”

As the new Ex-Officio representative, Escudero is also equally thankful for her parents and family, applauded who celebrated in the audience as she took her oath.“My parents work hard and a lot and they can’t make it to everything. But they make sure they make it to the most important things,” she said. “It’s always a really good feeling that they still recognize how hard I’m working.”

Escudero is set to graduate in 2024 and has sights on medical school, pursuing a career as a registered nurse or nurse practitioner. She expressed interest in Mount Saint Mary College for secondary education and has other colleges and institutions she will be touring and learning about their programs later on.

With the school year still a few weeks in, Escudero is ready for what lies ahead and to learn from all corners of her school community. “I hope that this year, I can represent the students and listen to them. I want to be able to help everyone and have everyone heard,” she said. “It’s just another role for me to understand and get better at and over time, it’ll progress. And it’ll just help me as a person.”

For her fellow students and the greater school community, she leaves them with a message of support and getting to know the community each day. “Continue to be involved, and stay focused on your community, and always give back,” she said. “It’s good to know your community and what’s done and the history and everything that goes into it, and how hard everyone has worked to make it what it is today.”