Almaden Resident

Education

Photograph by Vicki Thompson

Swearing In: Pardis Khosravi, a sophomore at Pioneer High School, was sworn in as the new District 10 youth commissioner on March 21. As a commissioner, Pardis will help identify the needs of youth is San Jose.

Sophomore at Pioneer represents peers from Almaden on S.J. youth commission

By Monica Heger

The youth of Almaden Valley have a new spokesperson--Pardis Khosravi, a 15-year-old sophomore at Pioneer High School. During the San Jose City Council meeting on March 21, Pardis was sworn in as the District 10 youth commissioner.

As a commissioner, Pardis is charged with identifying the concerns of her constituents and making recommendations to Pyle and the Department of Parks and Recreation.

There are 11 youth commissioners, one for each district and one commissioner at large.

Pardis has already identified key concerns that she plans to bring to the council. Among them are smoking and drinking among youth and inadequate school funding that has forced many electives and after-school programs to be cut.

"The budget cuts for schools have really cut down on the programs," Pardis said. "I was hoping I could write letters to see what we could do to raise money for after-school programs and elective classes."

Pardis said the auto shop elective was cut due to lack of funds.

To combat smoking, Pardis is interested in expanding presentations by the American Lung Association to more schools.

"I volunteered with the American Lung Association, and they present dangers of smoking to middle school students. But we only presented to one classroom at one middle school. I was hoping to expand that program so more students could hear it, because smoking, drugs and alcohol are a big problem," Pardis said.

Pardis applied for the youth commissioner role because she wanted to become more involved in her community.

"I heard about the position through my mom's friend," Pardis said, "and I thought it'd be a really nice way to get involved in my community and bring out the voice of the youth."

Her plans include staying involved in politics, particularly international politics.

"I've always been interested in learning about different cultures and languages," she said. "When I started researching colleges, I saw one of the majors was international business and law. It sounded really interesting and can lead to a career in the United Nations."

While Pardis has ambitious plans for her future, for now her role as District 10 youth commissioner is more local.

"I was really excited when I found out I was appointed to the position," Pardis said. "I was really hoping I would get this opportunity to represent the district and work with the youth."

Pardis will meet monthly with the commission to discuss the concerns of their constituents and develop program ideas. They serve three-year terms and must be between the ages of 14 and 20. To be appointed, they must submit an application and go through an interview process with their respective council member.

"Pardis understands that it's not about her, it's about her constituents," said Councilwoman Nancy Pyle, who made the final decision on appointing Pardis. "We're lucky to have her," she added.