Gov. Peter Shumlin has announced the appointment of Rainbow Chen, a student at Winooski High School, to the Vermont Board of Education. Chen will be a junior at Winooski High next fall. She will fill one of the two student seats on the panel.
Chen, who was born in Guangzhou, China and immigrated to the United States with her family at 10 months old, is an accomplished musician and passionate about student-centered learning practices. Chen is involved with many academic and extracurricular activities including serving on her local school board, serving as a student representative for Partnership for Change, playing string bass in the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association, and participating on the Scholar’s Bowl Team. Among her many accomplishments, Chen was named a 2013 New England League of Middle Schools Vermont Scholar Leader and participated in UVM’s Upward Bound program, the Vermont Talent Development Institute, and the Annenberg Institute for School Reform: Youth Leadership Institute.
“It is a pleasure to appoint Rainbow Chen to the Vermont’s State Board of Education,” said Gov. Shumlin. “The student perspective on the Board of Education has never been more crucial as we work together to ensure that every Vermont student receives a high-quality education, equitable and varied academic opportunities, student-driven personalized learning, and an intentional connection to college and career. I am confident that Rainbow is the student we need to help get the job done.”
“I'm extremely excited to be able to work with the board and be able to make future changes in our education,” said Chen. “Since our economy is rapidly growing, the students in not only our state, but our country, will need to take on new challenges and be able to succeed in the real world. I can't wait to work with the State Board of Education as their new student representative and be able to become a part of the working force that'll help our future generation grow.”
Winooski Superintendent of Schools, Sean McMannon, said, “Rainbow Chen is truly one of the kindest, reflective and intelligent students I have had the good fortune to encounter in my educational career. Whether she is attending a local school board meeting, researching restorative justice, learning a new instrument (she plays three!), working at the family business or engaged in her courses, she is always truly committed to excellence in all she does. Her outstanding blend of well-rounded knowledge, civic-mindedness, sharp academic skills and authentic interpersonal abilities will serve the VT State Board of Education well.”
Chen will serve in a non-voting capacity for one year and become a voting member as a high school senior during her second year on the board.