My name is Ligia Andrade Zúñiga and I am running for The San Mateo Union High School District Board of Trustees because I believe each student and their families deserve equal representation, support and tools to access opportunities in pursuit of their educational goals. Every teacher in our district need support to create these opportunities for each student and their successes. Lastly, our superintendent and district administration also need support to make sound decisions that ultimately affect our teachers, students, and their families. It takes a village.
Once I started a family of my own, we remained in San Mateo. Both of my children, Duran and Xavier, attended grade school and middle school, in the San Mateo-Foster City School District, as well as attended high school in the San Mateo Union High School District. I am proud to say they are both now attending college.
Both Duran and Xavier have had great experiences in both districts. I am very appreciative that my children were able to receive immersed bilingual education as well as participate in the District's high achieving athletics programs. Additionally, I credit the Middle College Program for helping to prepare Duran for his successful post-secondary education experience.
Throughout their time as students in the SMUHSD I made sure that I showed up and shared my voice, knowledge, and experiences with school leadership. I made this commitment to be visible and involved to support my children and other children in our community. In doing so, my eyes were open to the inequities and lack of support that many students in our school district fight to overcome.
For the past 22 years, I have served on many commissions, boards, and committees such as the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of San Mateo County Board of Directors the San Mateo County Commission on the Status of Women, the California State Independent Living Council, San Mateo County Commission on Disabilities, Center for Independence of Individuals with Disabilities Board of Directors, Hillsdale High School PTSO, and some others. All of these experiences have taught me how to influence policy, manage fiscal oversight responsibly, provide ethical governance, all while understanding how it will affect the community.
I am seeking a position on the Board of Trustees to work to create opportunities for all students to have an equal voice that communicates their experiences and their needs, including all those who are invisible, underserved, and under- represented.