State Student Advisory Council Student Announced

NCSS Student to Serve on Georgia School Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council
Posted on 10/20/2022
Janiyah WallaceNewton County School System junior Janiyah Wallace is one of only 67 Georgia students selected to serve on State School Superintendent Richard Woods’ 2022-2023 Student Advisory Council. Janiyah attends Eastside High School and the Newton College and Career Academy (NCCA).

Members of the Student Advisory Council will also discuss other education-related issues, serve as the Superintendent’s ambassadors to their respective schools, and participate in service projects to benefit schools and students.

“It is extremely important to me to receive direct feedback from those impacted by the decisions I make,” Superintendent Woods said. “Our purpose at the Georgia Department of Education is to open up opportunities for students. Building relationships with the Student Advisory Council members helps me ensure our policies are meeting their intended purpose and allows me to make decisions that will benefit children throughout the state.”

According to Janiyah, she applied to serve on the council because she wanted to be a voice for students on how to make public schools better.

“Newton County is kind of small and I wanted to be the voice for Newton County,” she said. “A lot of people don’t really have a say in how public schools are run. Also, I see a lot of things that could be fixed in public schools, and I want to be a part of that.”

In addition to being a voice for Newton County School System students, Janiyah said she was looking forward to meeting with and discussing ways to improve public education with her statewide peers.
The busy high school senior is taking classes in two pathways at NCCA—health care and marketing. Her dream is to attend Harvard University and become an entrepreneur. One day she’d like to own a medical facility to provide healthcare to those who cannot afford treatment.

“I have no doubt that Janiyah will represent our school system and her fellow students well on the State School Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council,” said Chad Walker, principal of Newton College & Career Academy. “She is a bright and talented young lady, and I am not surprised at all that Georgia School Superintendent Woods was impressed by her application and essays. She is an outstanding student who represents our district’s motto of Spirit, Pride, and Excellence in all that she does. Needless to say, we are all very proud of her.”