Sweet Home senior has ambitious goals
SOMEONE YOU SHOULD KNOW
by DAVID F. SHERMAN

Nate James

Nate James has a lot he wants to accomplish and a Board of Education willing to give him the opportunity.

Four years ago, voters in the Sweet Home Central School District approved a proposal that allowed one high school senior to serve as an ex officio member of the board. According to the terms of the proposal, the student would not have a vote or be allowed to attend executive sessions but would have a voice in district issues.

James has brought that voice to a new level.

"I often try to find a soapbox anyplace I can," James said with a grin.

He said his focus during his term on the board will be addressing recycling and environmental issues at Sweet Home schools, health and safety, and working on behalf of the student body.

James brought the safety issue to the forefront at a recent board meeting, shortly after school shootings in Cleveland. Reading from press reports about the troubled student who fired the shots, James said all school districts must continue to address small-scale incidents such as bullying, which sometimes culminate with Columbine-like results.

"We can't let anyone slip through the cracks and not help them. We have to deal with them," he said. "Bullying is not a small problem. Schools are the safest places around, but violence is up."

The environment is also at the forefront of his agenda. His father, Todd, sells wind turbines and has his own construction company.

"My number one goal is to make this place better," James said. "I'd like to be able to say that I brought honor to the position."

James achieved his role on the Board of Education by being elected president of the All-Class Leadership Council. He was a class officer each of the last two years at the high school after moving through the classrooms of Maplemere Elementary School and Sweet Home Middle School.

Ironically, it was at the middle school that he met the current district superintendent, Geoffrey Hicks. At the time, Hicks was the middle school principal.

"Nate was a sixth-grader, the kind of student that other kids gravitate toward," Hicks recalled. "He wasn't afraid to share his point of view."

Hicks said James has been a tremendous help to the board, allowing members to ask him for his opinion prior to a proposal ever seeing the light of day. He said many times administrators can only speculate about the outcome of policies they propose, but having a motivated, mature student on the board allows them to "validate some of their choices" during the decision making process.

James joined board members for their summer retreat and will be part of the budget process after the first of the year.

"Nate jumped right in and was not intimidated by the position or his responsibilities," Hicks said. "His insight has been a tremendous help to the board."

James said he views board members Doug Galli and Dirk Rabenold as personal mentors and likes the fact that Galli, as president of the board, always calls on him first for member comments at meetings.

He said talking about important issues and speaking up allow him to fulfill his duty as a board member. That's how he represents his fellow students, he said.

In fact, he has another "voice" as well. James handles the morning announcements at the high school. He also plays football and lacrosse and is an officer of the ski club.

After commencement, James hopes to attend Canisius College to major in political science. He wants to stay in Western New York.

"Buffalo is a city on the edge - in a good way," he said. "We can be such a great city. We will have our day. It's just a matter of time. Young people need to get more involved. You have to be in government and politics to be part of it."

In addition to his father, James has the support of his mother, Denise, an older brother, Mike, and younger sister, Faith.

"It took me a few weeks to figure out what I was doing as a board member, but I did it," he said. "I enjoy seeing the looks on the faces of some people when I ask really good questions. My strategy is to find out what's going on, digest it and apply it to my goals for the school. My advice to other students is to take charge of your goals. Make them your own."

If you have a suggestion for someone to feature in this column, send it to David F. Sherman, managing editor, P.O. Box 150, Buffalo, NY 14231-0150, or call 204-4905.