GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) – The three seniors selected to represent the GRPS student body at Grand Rapids Board of Education meetings are already making an impact in their communities.
Each school year, three seniors from the Superintendent’s Scholar Advisory Council are selected to attend Board of Education meetings. They provide updates to the board and share information from board meetings with their school communities and the full advisory council.
You can learn more about the three scholar representatives below.
Joshua Beckford, City High Middle School
Joshua Beckford is a senior at City High Middle School and has been in Grand Rapids Public Schools for the last seven years. He is a student leader at City, previously serving on the Principal's Advisory and representing City the last two years on the Superintendent's Scholar Advisory Council.
Joshua spends much of his free time working and helping to support both his family and the community. This past summer he worked as an intern at the Grand Rapids chapter of the NAACP. He is planning to go to school for nursing and is looking forward to exploring his post-secondary options, which includes the possibility of attending school in Georgia.
Odon Kiara, Grand Rapids Public Museum High School
Odon is a senior at the Grand Rapids Public Museum High School. He's been a proud Museum scholar since the sixth grade. What makes Odon such a special scholar is his willingness not only to listen to others, but also to thoughtfully reflect on what he has heard and apply it in meaningful ways.
Odon possesses a genuine hunger not just for information, but for the process of transforming that information into knowledge and allowing that knowledge to guide his decisions with wisdom. This ability to learn, reflect, and grow is the foundation of an impactful and effective leader.
Sulmy Lopez-Perez, Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy
Sulmy Lopez-Perez is a dedicated student leader at Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy (UPREP). Sulmy is passionate about serving her school community, supporting younger students, and ensuring that students and families have a voice in decisions that affect them.
Through her experiences at UPREP, Sulmy has developed a strong commitment to mentorship and service. Since 2024, she has served as a 6th/7th grade mentor, providing younger scholars with academic assistance, encouragement, and emotional support. She also serves as an I.C.E. Resourcer, researching and connecting immigrant families with important resources and helping families navigate through challenging situations. These experiences have strengthened her ability to listen, communicate effectively, problem-solve, and advocate for others.
Sulmy is also active in the Grand Rapids community. Through her work with the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, she has served as a teacher assistant, backstage crew member, and usher, developing strong teamwork, communication, and leadership skills. Her employment experiences as a babysitter, translator, and general staff member at Mermaid Bay Indoor Playground have further strengthened her responsibility, organization, customer service, and ability to work with people of different ages and backgrounds.
As a bilingual student, she brings an important perspective to student leadership. She understands the importance of making sure students and families feel welcomed, heard, and represented. She hopes to use her position as a student board representative to listen to her peers, elevate student perspectives, advocate for positive change, and help strengthen the relationship between students, families, staff, and school leadership.
Sulmy believes that effective student leadership means listening first, speaking up when it matters, and making sure every student has an opportunity to be heard.