CCSD Student Named to State School Superintendent's Student Advisory Council

A Cherokee County School District student has been named to the State School Superintendent’s 2023-24 Student Advisory Council!

Etowah High School senior Cristina Garcia is among the 69 high school students from across the state selected for the prestigious role.  State School Superintendent Richard Woods chose his student advisors based on their applications and answers to essay questions about improving public education.

The group will meet with Superintendent Woods throughout the school year beginning in November to talk about how state policies affect their schools. 

“Georgia’s public schools exist to serve students, and it is absolutely essential that we receive feedback directly from those directly affected by statewide policies,” Superintendent Woods said. “Every year, my Student Advisory Council is an incredibly valuable resource for me, and for my colleagues at the Georgia Department of Education, as we make decisions that will directly impact the classroom.  The students selected for this year’s Council are a prestigious group representing schools across the state, and I look forward to working with them to expand educational opportunities for all of Georgia’s children.”

Cristina is an outstanding student and school and community leader and volunteer.  A Governor Honor's Program alumni for chemistry, she has earned the UGA Certificate of Merit and SOAR Award and is an AP Scholar with Distinction and Superintendent’s Key Scholar.  Cristina has served as president of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (National Spanish Honor Society) for the last two years and is a member of National Honor Society, National English Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta (National Math Honor Society).

She serves as a leader in Student Government Association and Flight Club Leadership Council at Etowah and in the community as a member of Sequoyah Regional Library System Teen Advisory Board.  A member of Key Club and Hope, Cristina has earned a community service letter for her extensive volunteerism including as a leader for Etowah’s ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) student mentorship program and as a translator and mentor for non-English speaking families at local elementary schools. 

The Cherokee County School Board and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower will recognize Cristina at the School Board’s October meeting.

“Cristina is an impressive student and young leader, who I know will represent her school and our community with excellence at the state level,” Dr. Hightower said, noting that he also plans to meet with Cristina to hear her feedback on CCSD and public education.  “I’m proud of Cristina for achieving this honor and look forward to listening to her and learning from her.”
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