Fontana Unified Selects 2020-21 Board of Education Student Representative

Fontana High School senior Fatima Kamara will serve as Fontana Unified’s 2020-21 Board of Education student representative, a role she embraces as an opportunity to make a positive impact and ensure the diverse voices of the District’s student body are heard. 

Kamara was selected from a pool of four finalists following a virtual interview during the Sept. 16 Board of Education special meeting.

“This is an opportunity to pay back this beautiful community that has helped me accept myself and contributed to the successful student that I am today, as well as the individual that I aspire to be in the future,” Kamara said. “With this role, I can do what I’ve always wanted to do, which is help students understand that their opinions, their ideas and their visions about their academic settings are important.”

Since arriving from Sierra Leone three years ago, Kamara has fully embraced the learning opportunities and extracurriculars Fontana Unified has to offer, maintaining a strong GPA and earning multiple Jerry Dison Awards, Student of the Month and Most Outstanding AVID Student.

She has served as the student representative to Fontana High’s School Site Council for the last two years, ensuring the academic and social needs of her peers are catered to; worked to establish a wellness center and meditation garden as part of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team; and served as a peer mentor in Link Crew, helping incoming freshmen transition smoothly into high school.

Kamara is also a member of the California Scholarship Federation, a 2019 junior honor attendant, and a regular volunteer at the Lewis Library and Technology Center. Her time volunteering at the library has inspired her goals as the Board of Education student representative.

“I have seen little children express sincere interests in learning new materials,” Kamara said. “I want to help cultivate these raw desires by helping the FUSD Board of Education establish improved methods that will highlight the unique backgrounds of each student, equipping them with the confidence to soar to new academic heights.”

Kamara plans to pursue a career in corporate law and hopes her time as the Board of Education student representative will provide her with valuable insight into public policy.

“Since coming to Fontana Unified, Fatima has impressed us with her passion and dedication to serving her peers,” Fontana Unified Superintendent Randal S. Bassett said. “We are thrilled to welcome her to the Board of Education to serve as the voice of Fontana Unified students.”