Deja Reed

My name is Deja Reed and I am currently a Junior at Arlington High School. Throughout my academic career, I have spent a lot of time advocating for various causes within our district. In third grade, for the science fair, I carried out a survey of student lunches to evaluate lunch waste. As a result of my project, Pioneer, followed by other schools in the district, reinstituted compost bins at lunch. I have also worked with the district’s equity facilitators to provide student testimony to staff members as part of their equity training. In my current role as the Junior Advisor to the School Board I aim to provide my most helpful and honest opinions to encourage positive change in the Arlington School District.

Regarding my academics, I have been a part of the Highly Capable program since first grade. Much of my elementary experience was shaped by being ahead of the curve and often serving as a peer helper. Those early years taught me a lot, but my true academic adventure began when I skipped 5th grade, and entered middle school a year early. This transition became even more challenging when COVID-related school closures occurred. I spent all of middle school trying to catch up on material I missed during a year and a half of disrupted schooling. Now, as a high school student, I’ve not only caught up with my academic peers but have also excelled in advanced classes.

Outside the classroom, I have been actively involved in several extracurricular activities. I am a member of the National Honor Society, spent three years working on the yearbook in both middle and high school, and enjoy participating in many other school activities. Aside from that, I am on the track team as a shotput and discus thrower and during my sophomore season, competed at the 3A state meet. I take pride in being a champion both on the field and in the classroom, and I hope my varied experiences will contribute valuable insight to the school board’s recommendations from a student perspective.

September 2024