Standing Ovation, Plaque for SPUSD Student Rep

When Peter Seo heads to college in the fall, the 18-year-old will be a more polished speaker, thanks to his time on the South Pasadena Unified School District Governing Board, he said.

At a recent SPUSD meeting, the graduating senior received a standing ovation and a plaque for his year-long service as student representative to the board. Seo reported back to the members about news going on at all the schools, and offered the student's perspective. 

"You've put in a great deal of time, you've done your homework, you come to these board meetings prepared,'' said Superintendent Joel Shapiro, who added that Seo always brought salient opinions to the table.  

As for Seo, the one adjective he used to sum up his time on the board: unexpected.

"I didn't really expect to contribute [this much]. It was a fantastic experience to share my information with board members, and I think i've improved in articulating what I need to say and what I should say,'' he said. 

Board member David Adelstein added that Seo's "spark'' and fine sense of humor were characteristics that he'd particularly remember about the teen. 

"I think your future is exceptionally bright,'' he said, noting that he wanted to keep tabs on Seo as he works through the UC system.

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