As a student having grown up in Vermont public schools, I can attest to the fact that far too many students are silenced when trying to advocate and use their voice. After four years in high school and now two years at Middlebury College, I have learned that the impact of my advocacy in the world I’m growing up in can move mountains — and finding adult allies to stand alongside is essential. And now, I am using my voice to support Ron Makleff and Jess Venable Novak for Addison Central School District board; two advocates who I know will stand up for my peers and our community as a whole.

I have known Jess through my work with the Vermont Student Anti-Racism Network, where they collaborated with our student run 501c3. They uplifted student voices authentically and always listened to our concerns as students, using the position they held in the ACLU of Vermont to ensure we had a platform for our initiatives.

And as a student of social movements, I am equally excited to endorse Ron, who pushes for action in systems that leave too many of us behind. As a child of immigrants who has taught in four different countries, he brings a unique perspective to this work; one of mutual aid with an emphasis in community.

I want to tell a quick story about the power of youth voices, and the power of adults like Jess and Ron who stand up for us. When I was in high school, I saw that there was an extreme lack of diverse curriculum in our libraries. When I brought this up to state school board officials and local superintendents, the overwhelming response was agreement — and a commitment to support us as students in making change. We, as a group of passionate students, brought over 200 books centering inclusivity and diversity to schools across Vermont… and this wouldn’t have been possible without adults supporting us.

But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Too many adults don’t support students doing this work. I have also experienced this firsthand, from people deliberately standing in our way, to covertly slowing us down. This feels horrible and can stand as a huge impediment. But again, adults can also be our strongest supporters, so I am thrilled to support Jess Venable-Novak and Ron Makleff for ACSD board, two adults who will fight for us with every breath they have. I stand firm in my belief that they will stand up for us all — and especially stand up for students, helping young people like myself to understand the power of our own voices in a system that tries to take this power away from us.

Addie Lentzner

Middlebury