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THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013
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Teens go extra mile to give student slant By Ron Leir Observer Correspondent
position was opening up and asked if I was interested.” After accepting the offer, Marco KEARNY – said Gilson then left it up to hey’re only 17 but him to find someone to fill they’re almost as busy the second liaison slot. as adults with family So Marco turned to Tiffany, and job responsibilities. who serves as vice president They are Marco Matos of the Class of 2014, and she and Tiffany Gonzalez, both agreed to step up to the chalKearny High School seniors, lenge. who are currently serving as Both students have pretty student liaisons (non-voting) impressive resumes, even to the Kearny Board of Eduwithout counting the new cation. liaison responsibilities. Both After getting brief orientaare members of the KHS tions from BOE members, Honor Society (Tiffany is the they attended their first high school chapter presiboard meeting on Sept. 16 and dent) and both are KHS crew will continue to sit in on all team captains. regular monthly BOE meetBut that’s just part of the ings. picture. Superintendent of Schools Never mind being academic Frank Ferraro came up with whizzes: Tiffany also found the idea of having student time to volunteer as the representation on the board junior class representative on to ensure further transparthe Kearny Municipal Alliency, as a way of students ance and is a current member getting school-related inforof the KHS fishing club. mation to other students and “I’m excited to be part of as a way of students relaying the new liaison program,” she their concerns to the board. said. “It was interesting seeMarco has been assigned ing how the board interacts the job of collecting input with the community publicly. from his mates at the high It kind of gave me a window school while Tiffany has been into how they run their meetasked to learn what’s on the ing.” minds of kids in the district’s Asked how she planned to elementary schools. make contact with children So far, both appear up to in the lower grades, Tiffany the task. said she was looking to send Since Marco happens to be out a “mass e-mail” to the president of the KHS Student principals’ offices at each of Government, he’s already tied the district’s six elementary into the official pipeline for schools to solicit students’ the collective KHS student needs. “And some schools voice so he’ll tap that rehave class officers so I would source to report back to the expect to work with them, board. also,” she said. Asked how he landed in Marco, meanwhile, has the liaison slot, Marco said been flexing his political musKHS Principal Al Gilson cles and he can now claim “approached me and said the some bragging rights, having
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Photo by Christopher McShane
Marco Matos and Tiffany Gonzalez.
served as a summer intern as part of the election campaign team for Democrat Cory Booker, the Newark mayor who last week defeated Republican nominee Steve Lonegan for U.S. Senator for New Jersey. “In June, I heard Booker speak at Boys’ State [where he was a Kearny delegate],” Marco said, which inspired him to serve as a summer campaign volunteer and in September, he secured a campaign fellowship to organize volunteers for Booker in Essex County. After graduation, Marco is
Inside Editorial .............................06 Around Town ....................14 Then & Now ......................29 Real Estate ........................22
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aiming for a collegiate course of study leading to a career in “politics and/or government service.” For current reading, he recommends George Packer’s “The Unwinding,” which describes how big money has displaced many of America’s traditional strengths and Americans’ pride in their country. As for Tiffany’s goals, she admits to being “torn between a health-related career and politics.” For now, though, both will be focused on deciphering the machinations of the Kearny BOE.
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