East Rockaway High School has implemented recent New York legislation that requires all school districts with a high school to select a student Board of Education representative. From East Rockaway, junior Sofia Ferkov, 17, will serve as the district’s first student representative; her swearing-in ceremony occurred at the Board of Education meeting on July 8.
Signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in September, Legislation S.9018A/A.9855A requires each student representative to serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member of the board. The student must have attended their high school for at least one year prior to being considered.
The Herald spoke with Ferkov about how she earned the position, her goals for the year, and her hopes for student voice in education.
Herald: How did you get involved with the student representative position for the school board?
Ferkov: Well, it is our first time doing it here at East Rockaway, I'm sure you know, but our administrators came into our class and took a period to explain the position and the role. Whoever was interested filled out an application, and then there was a round of interviews. That’s how I ended up learning about and earning the position.
Herald: What kind of sparked your interest to get involved in this?
Ferkov: I definitely wanted to take on a bigger role within the school. My main goal as I get older is to make an impact on my community. I already do community service, but I just wanted to take more of a role in our education system.
Herald: What community service organizations are you part of?
Ferkov: I volunteer a lot for our local library, and I also work at Camp Anchor.
Ferkov: There’s a new program opening up in our school for nursing. We have a club for that. I want to be a psychiatrist when I'm older, so anything medical field-related interests me. I also want to get more involved with Rock Rivalry and other school events.
Herald: I saw that you already participated in one board meeting. Have you done others since that first one?
Ferkov: Yes, I did the initiation, and then I was there last week for a board meeting. It was very brief, but we took a tour of the school to see all the new updates. I also went to a BOCES program for training for the role—just this past Friday. That went well, and there's more to come.
Herald: Since this is a non-voting position, what do you think you can offer the most insight on? Are there areas you think the district could improve or expand on?
Ferkov: I think a lot of times when you look at school boards, it’s important to know that not everybody is getting information directly from students. As an adult, you can’t always do that—especially across elementary, middle and high school. I think it’s important to have a student leader to express concerns and communicate what the community needs. Those things should be brought to the table before policies are considered or implemented. Everyone should have a voice.
Herald: Have any students reached out to you to share their thoughts? Do you feel like you’re becoming a representative figure for the student body?
Ferkov: I feel like everything’s been shut down for the summer, and I didn’t start the position until midsummer. Also, since it’s a new program, not a lot of people are aware of the role I have. But I definitely have plans to get more involved with the student body and communicate with all areas of the school—like even the PTA at the elementary schools. I want to make sure I’m getting opinions from everybody.
Herald: What are you most excited about for this upcoming school year?
Ferkov: Just taking opportunities to grow. I feel like junior year is going to come with a lot of responsibility, but it’s also going to give me time to learn how to manage things and take new skills with me.
Herald: I know New York State recently announced changes to graduation requirements, like eliminating Regents exams and focusing more on key skills like critical thinking. Do you think that will affect your experience this year or next?
Ferkov: The Regents change doesn’t affect me because I’ve already started the exams. The policy is that if you start them, you have to finish them. But I do think it will impact future students. We talked about it at the board meeting. There was a model—like a tree—with specific qualities listed. I think the district might try to implement those more this year, which is a good thing. Everyone should have qualities that help them succeed in the real world, not just school. I’m excited to see how that plays out.
