Education Minister 'ready to listen' to 1st ever National Student Government
The members who were appointed on March 23, 2026, are as follows: Waynella Moore of the Bregado Flax Educational Centre and Rudell Stoutt of Elmore Stoutt High School have been appointed President and Vice President, respectively. Cassidy George- Policy and Advocacy Officer, Keandre Machu- Member, Malia Chukatu- Member and Communications Officer, Kimoya Smith- Member, Johnny Walters- Events and Outreach Officer, Ariana Tillett- Member, Arabelle Pickering- Assistant Secretary, Katieann Stevens- Communications Officer, Shandre Libergy- Member and Jana Peters- Secretary General.
'I am ready to hear your ideas'- Hon de Castro
Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, Honourable Sharie B. de Castro (AL), encouraged the newly appointed members to be bold in their leadership.
“So today, as minister, I want to be clear to every single one of you that I am here to listen, I am ready to hear your ideas, I am ready to see your leadership in action, and I am committed to putting in place the systems and structures that ensure your contributions are not just acknowledged but applied.”
A partnership
The minister urged the new student government to challenge her and the Ministry in an effort to advance issues and decisions that matter most to students across the Virgin Islands.
"I want to encourage you to challenge me, to question me, to engage me, bring your ideas, bring your concerns, bring your solutions, push the conversations forward, hold this space that we have created accountable, and help shape the decisions that shape you."
The minister further stated that this is not a one-way conversation; however, “it is a partnership, a direct line, a shared responsibility, a collective effort to move forward with purpose.”
.png)
.png)
.jpg)
Follow Us On
1 Response to “Education Minister 'ready to listen' to 1st ever National Student Government”
what i find particularly meaningful is how this creates a structured pathway for student feedback to reach decision-makers. rather than students feeling like their concerns fall on deaf ears, they now have an official platform to share their perspectives on education matters that directly affect them.
i remember when i was in school, we always wished we had more input into how things were run. programs like this show that times are changing and that policymakers are starting to recognize the value of student involvement. it reminds me of how hard organizations like https://scritchyscratchy.cc/ work to give young people opportunities to voice their opinions and develop their skills.
hopefully this inspires other territories to follow suit - when we invest in our youth's leadership development, everyone benefits in the long run. looking forward to seeing what the nsg accomplishes!