(Photo Courtesy of Veekas Shrivastava)One of ASU's own could be elected as the youngest board member to date of the Tempe Union High School District Governing Board.
ASU alumnus Veekas Shrivastava, 23, is one of the candidates in the upcoming November election. Younger candidates, such as Shrivastava, have the potential to change the dynamic of the governing board by bringing fresh new ideas to the table. Because of this, current TUHSD president Mary Lou Taylor publicly supports Shrivastava.
“Youth always brings energy and new ideas to any board or event," she said in an email. "They have experienced this age of technology all their lives. They understand what our high school students of today are all about."
Shrivastava said he plans to do just that.
As a former student of McClintock High School in TUHSD, Shrivastava has first-hand insight that could potentially be valuable to the board.
“Everything I’ve done has been here, so I know the people and I know the stories… particularly of course, as a student I remember what the classes were like,” he said.
Shrivastava said he believes a younger voice within the board is an important necessity, especially when it comes to high school governing boards.
“In general, millennials are the generation that is collaborative, innovative and sophisticated enough to try different solutions to solve problems,” he said, adding that being collaborative is “required of a board member to get things done."
Shrivastava’s passion was evident as he discussed the potential role he could play in TUHSD.
“I want to see the students who I identify with so much, because I was one of them; I want to see those students be equipped to be successful,” he said.
The first few issues Shrivastava wants to address if elected are class sizes, as TUHSD averages 40 students per class because of budget recalls and budget cuts, he said.
The budget cuts from 2008 to now have been significant, as the total cuts amount to a 25 percent decrease to K-12 education funding by state legislature, Shrivastava said.
In addition to bringing more teachers on staff, Shrivastava plans to bring more technology into the classroom in hopes of optimizing the level of education within TUHSD and addressing different learning paces.
“We need technology to deliver better education, especially (programs that have) individualized educational models,” he said.
Not only does Shrivastava plan to make significant changes within the classroom, he said he wants to be actively involved in the community.
“The type of leader I want to be is the community guy, a guy who knows what’s going on in the community, who doesn't just talk to his political persuasion but talks to every one across the board … who just cares about their kids and about their lives," he said. "I think those make for the best leaders.”
Shrivastava has experience within education and leadership already, as he “has founded organizations and worked across the world teaching children business skills, financial literacy, and creative thinking,” according to his campaign website.
Shrivastava said his main goal is to adequately prepare TUHSD students for the next step of their lives because so many students leave high school feeling unprepared.
He gives speeches to high school and college students, and their feedback on their level of preparation for the road ahead is not what one would hope.
“I ask, 'How many people think high school prepared them for college?', and it’s almost no one,” he said.
It seems that some Tempe residents won't count Shrivastava's age as a downfall. Tempe resident Wade Baird said as long as the candidate is qualified, age shouldn't be an issue.
Shrivastava said he has a passion to make the futures of the students within TUHSD shine a bit brighter.
“I think it will be so fulfilling helping 14,000 kids, having those stories where they didn't think could go to college, and I made it just a little bit easier for them to do it, or they didn't think they could graduate high school, and I made it a little bit easier, or I inspired them to try harder or dream bigger,” Shrivastava said.
Reach the reporter at dpharias@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @_Desirayray
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