FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Link to High Resolution Photos & Videos of Student Trustees
Media Contact:
James Canning, jcanning@sandi.net, 313-580-2845
Mike Murad, mmurad@sandi.net, 619-925-4790
San Diego Unified Welcomes New Student Trustees for 2025-26 School Year,
Continues Commitment to Uplifting Student Voice During Board of Education Meetings
New trustees will represent 90,000-plus students in district governance
SAN DIEGO (JULY 8, 2025) — San Diego Unified School District continued its commitment to student voice. Two new student trustees who will represent more than 90,000 students in district governance were sworn in on June 24, 2025, and will participate in their first Board of Education meeting on Aug. 26.
Alina Nguyen of Hoover High and Ashley Ordaz of University City High will serve one-year terms, and they replace outgoing trustees Joseph Cruz of Morse High and Quinton Baldis of Scripps Ranch High. Their terms began July 1.
Nguyen, a rising senior at Hoover High, is an active member of the Cesar Chavez Service Clubs, the National Honor Society and the Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program. She has contributed to community efforts including food drives, blood drives and beach cleanups while developing her interests in health care.
Her dedication to ethical leadership extends beyond local service. Nguyen worked on a policy initiative that addressed worker welfare violations in the Southern African diamond mining industry. As an alumna of the School for Ethics and Global Leadership, she explored diplomacy, equity and global justice in London and Washington, D.C. She has also expressed her voice through a winning podcast on capitalism and creative outlets like poetry, music and writing. A pianist for more than 12 years, she shares music as a gift to her community.
"I'm committed to ensuring every student feels seen and heard, and I carry that mission forward with pride," Student Trustee Nguyen said. "Whether through policy work, community service or advocacy at the board level, I lead with authenticity and care for the most vulnerable in our community."
Ordaz, an Afro-Cuban student born in Las Vegas and raised in San Diego, has been known from a young age for her curiosity and strong opinions. She has embraced trying new things, from playing sports and instruments to learning new languages. While involved in many programs, she values living in the moment, enjoying simple pleasures such as going to the beach, visiting museums and traveling. She plans to pursue international relations.
"Time is limitless, so speak your words forever," Student Trustee Ordaz said. "I see this role of leadership not just as one that I won, but as a responsibility to uplift underrepresented diverse voices and act on real issues that must be fixed."
Student trustees have preferential voting rights, meaning their votes are recorded in meeting minutes but do not count toward the final numerical outcome of board decisions. They can make motions, second motions and place items on the agenda with support from another board member.
The board recognized the contributions of the outgoing student trustees Joseph Cruz and Quinton Baldis during the June 24 ceremony (See Video Here). Board President Cody Petterson told Cruz and Baldis that they "brought us back to the fundamental experience of what it is to be a student and for us it really did bring home how important it is to always keep the student first and foremost in our minds."
Superintendent Fabiola Bagula, Ph.D., praised the departing trustees for "continuously elevating the conversation reminding us how important it is to center student voice and student needs in every single thing you do."
Cruz reflected on his service, saying, "Throughout my life I've learned that a life worth living is one where you're serving others, that my happiness stems from the joy of those around me."
Baldis said he was "deeply humbled and honored to represent the almost 95,000 students of the San Diego Unified School District."
San Diego Unified created student trustee positions in 2019 to ensure authentic student voice in board decision-making, adding a second position in 2022. Under district policy, at least one student trustee must attend a high school with 60% or higher free and reduced lunch program eligibility. Nguyen and Ordaz will be the 10th and 11th students to serve since the program began.
The student trustees receive the same $1,736 monthly compensation as adult board members and vote on agenda items alongside the seven-member board. Their role aligns with the district's Student Outcomes Focused Governance approach, which prioritizes transparency, accountability and keeping students at the center of all decision-making.
About two-thirds of California's school districts serving high school students have student board members.
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James Canning (He/Him)
Executive Director, Strategic Communications & Information
San Diego Unified School District
jcanning@sandi.net | www.sandiegounified.org
Mobile Phone: 313-580-2845
4100 Normal Street, San Diego, CA 92103
Note: I may send and respond to emails outside of my normal workday or workweek. Please do not feel obligated to reply outside of your normal work schedule. Thank you.
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