NDIANAPOLIS, IN (December 7, 2023) — Sixteen high school student leaders from across the nation have been selected to serve on the inaugural NFHS National Student Advisory Council (NSAC), which will meet for the first time January 20-23 in Indianapolis.
The 16 student leaders, all juniors in classification and all involved in sports or performing arts activities in their schools, will be attending a number of meetings throughout the 2024 calendar year to provide the NFHS student perspectives on participation in high school sports and performing arts.
The NFHS is the national leader and advocate for high school sports and performing arts and works with its 51-member state associations and 19,800 high schools to provide participation opportunities to the more than 12 million students involved in education-based activity programs.
“This is an historic and exciting venture for the NFHS,” said Dr. Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the NFHS. “We have had thousands of meetings for many decades with committees composed of adult representation, but never an advisory group composed solely of students. Since students involved in these activities are ultimately the ones we serve, we are looking forward to gaining their insight and perspectives on ways to make these programs better and more effective.
“Thanks to advocacy from the NFHS Student Services Committee and National Student Leadership Summit Planning Committee, as well as support from the NFHS Board of Directors and staff, we are pleased to be launching the National Student Advisory Council next month.”
Two students from each of the eight NFHS geographical regions were chosen for the NSAC, all of whom have exhibited outstanding leadership skills, achievements in academics and sports/activities, and a commitment to making a positive impact in their communities. All students have previously been a part of the NFHS National Student Leadership Summit, which is held every summer in Indianapolis.
Following are the students selected to the first NFHS National Student Advisory Council:
SECTION 1: Brianna Barton, Windsor High School, Windsor, Vermont; William Bergman, Enfield High School, Enfield, Connecticut
SECTION 2: Tedi Henderson, DuPont Manual High School, Louisville, Kentucky; Lexi Williams, Pickerington High School North, Pickerington, Ohio
SECTION 3: Olivia Elder, Mary Persons High School, Forsyth, Georgia; Kyle Stinson, Seaforth High School, Pittsboro, North Carolina.
SECTION 4: Charlie Hasenour, Forest Park High School, Ferdinand, Indiana; Megan Allen, Monticello High School, Monticello, Illinois.
SECTION 5: Emmie Hofer, Stevens High School, Rapid City, South Dakota; David Yusten Jr., Roosevelt High School, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
SECTION 6: R.J. Newton, Bryant High School, Bryant, Arkansas; Jorianne Mirabel, Magdalena High School, Magdalena, New Mexico.
SECTION 7: Christian Rebolledo, Sierra Vista High School, Las Vegas, Nevada; Camilla Rodriguez, Westwood High School, Mesa, Arizona.
SECTION 8: Nayeli Monjaris-Juarez, Wendell High School, Wendell, Idaho; Joshua Pak, Polaris High School, Anchorage, Alaska.
Among the roles and responsibilities of the National Student Advisory Council, the 16 students will:
- Determine and develop actions the Council will take to gather insight on the experiences of students in high schools from the states within each section;
- Identify and communicate areas of support that may be needed from the NFHS and state associations;
- Identify and communicate ideas for increasing student involvement in co-curricular activities, where needed.
The NFHS has provided programming and student leadership empowerment on the national stage through its annual National Student Leadership Summit, an inspiring and unforgettable experience that thousands of high school students have received since the first conference in 2000.
The student leaders on the NSAC will learn about – and share insight on – the different issues that impact students’ involvement in high school activity programs throughout the regions they represent. Beginning in July 2024, the NSAC will also design and deliver some components of the highly anticipated annual National Student Leadership Summit.
Online link to article: https://www.nfhs.org/articles/16-high-school-student-leaders-selected-for-inaugural-national-student-advisory-council/
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About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 17 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,500 high schools and 12 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.8 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.
NCHSAA Media Contact: Brandon Moree, brandon@nchsaa.org
NFHS Media Contact: Bruce Howard, bhoward@nfhs.org
