Meet your Student Engagement Team

Kayla Nguyen - Student Engagement Intern for the Secondary Office

Hi! My name is Kayla and I am the current Student Engagement Intern for San Diego Unified as of February 2025. I am a senior at University City High School and have been a San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) student since I moved to San Diego at seven years old. I started at Oak Park Elementary, then went to Creative Performing Media Arts (CPMA) Middle, and am now a proud Centurion at UC High! I have yet to commit to a college but intend to study both economics and public policy.

In high school, I was an active member and leader of several clubs on campus including Asian Student Association, First Generation Scholars, California Scholastic Federation, Homeless Outreach, and Key Club. I’ve been climbing the ranks of Yearbook since I joined the program, in my Freshman year, now I am a two-time award-winning Yearbook Editor in Chief. This school year I contribute as a member of my school’s Student Principal Advisory Committee (SPAC) and the student representative for my school’s Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA).

Unlike Lorena and Jacqueline, I became involved with the district later in my high school journey. I ran for the 2024-2025 Student Board Member position with a campaign focused on improving staff and student relations after witnessing and experiencing detrimental ones myself. I spoke unscripted at serval high schools like Lincoln High and La Jolla High about my genuine goal: positive change across the district. While I secured hundreds of votes for the student board member position, my biggest takeaways were the connections I made along the way and the networking I was able to do within the district despite not winning. Since then I’ve worked with the district in as many opportunities as possible: setting up, volunteering, and MC-ing at district-wide events. More significantly, I am the Vice-President of the Student Advisory Board (SAB), and I co-lead meetings with the two elected Student Board Members Joseph and Quinton.

Since the reforming of the SAB starting in the summer, the three of us have worked very hard to ensure the representation of all students; middle school and high school students from across the district. Just this year we were able to increase the number of applications by 700% and now have an amazing group of 45 students who bring diverse perspectives on topics such as school lunch, funding, student and staff relations, graduation requirements, AI usage, and so much more.

Mrs. Stacey, the most wonderful and diplomatic woman who has helped me along this journey within SDUSD is who I owe for this amazing opportunity–Student Engagement Intern. She and Lorena have acknowledged my character and have given me endless words of encouragement since the very first day I met them. I am both so excited and nervous to fill Lorena and Jacqueline’s shoes, I promise to continue on their impactful and inspiring work.

I am committed to amplifying student voices and ensuring that students have a seat at the table when it comes to discussing our education. Building on the incredible work of Lorena and Jacqueline, I will continue to uphold the phrase of "For students, by students." My goal is to improve the relationships between district leadership and students, fostering stronger communication, increasing student engagement, and empowering students across the district. I am dedicated to ensuring that San Diego Unified students have access to resources and opportunities that will benefit them—whether it’s scholarships, student organizations, district news, or new opportunities. My work is focused on advocating for increased student engagement, ensuring that students are well-informed about decisions that impact their education.

Make sure you follow @sdusdstudents on Instagram and check the SDUSD Student Engagement Website for the newest updates! Feel free to reach out to me with any questions, comments, or suggestions at knguyen12@sandi.net :)))

Jacqueline De Anda - Student Engagement Intern for the Secondary Office

Hi! My name is Jacqueline and I was the 2nd ever Student Engagement Intern for San Diego Unified. I am a senior at East Village Middle College High School and have been in SDUSD since preschool. I will be attending the University of California, Berkeley this fall, majoring in Political Science.

I became involved in the district in 2020 when I joined the Student Advisory Board (SAB) as a ninth-grade student. Before joining the Student Advisory Board, I was very uninformed about anything related to the district I had been a part of my whole life. However, I found a passion for being involved in the district and voicing my opinion, which prior to joining the board I never felt mattered to anyone.

I was able to serve three terms with the Student Advisory Board, one of which was as the Director of Equity and Inclusion. In that role, I worked hard to ensure that the application process for the board was equitable and fair to all the students who applied. This allowed the board to elevate more diverse voices and have a proper representation of the district as a whole. I have also taken part in the Superintendent Selection Panel where I worked to be a voice of the students during the very important process of selecting the next Superintendent of the district. Over high school, I have been able to deeply enjoy the work I’ve done within the district, especially when it comes to elevating student voices.

When the amazing opportunity to be the student engagement intern came up, I found that it was something I had to do. I love the work I have been able to do and take it very seriously. Helping bridge the gap between students and district leaders is something I pride myself on.

I hope to continue the amazing work Lorena has already done. I want to ensure that San Diego Unified students have access to resources and opportunities that will serve them well. This can be having access to scholarships, student organizations, district news, and opportunities. My work includes fighting to increase student engagement within the district to ensure that students are informed about decisions that can affect their education.

Outside of the district, I work with Barrio Logan College Institute where I am part of the planning committee for Circulo De Mujeres and have been involved with the Leadership Council. At school, I currently serve as Interact Club president and am part of the senior committee. During my ninth-grade year, I was also the Gay Straight Alliance club secretary. I have also been involved in the graduation ceremony committee and ASB.

I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have and love hearing other students' voices. So please, feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or suggestions! My email is jdeanda@sandi.net

Lorena Ford- Student Engagement Intern for the Secondary Office

Hi! My name is Lorena and I was the first Student Engagement Intern for San Diego Unified. I graduated in 2022 from Scripps Ranch High School and am now studying Political Science at SDSU.

In high school I was an active member and leader of several clubs on campus including Chess, Circle of Friends, CSF (California Scholastic Federation), Debate, French, and Spanish Clubs as well as the Varsity Tennis and Badminton teams. From 2020-’22, I contributed as a member of my school’s SSC (School Site Council), Principal’s Advisory Committee and WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) focus groups. In 2020, I was selected as a member of the Student Advisory Board. This kickstarted my passion for advocacy at the district level. My senior year, I co-led the Student Advisory Board as the board’s Vice President and represented students on various committees including those seeking student input on the academic calendars for the 2023-’24 and 2024-’25 school years, Standards Based Learning, Superintendent Selection panel and police reform, among others. In addition to this, I also helped organize and put on events like the Salute to Excellence and the two Meet the Student Board Member Candidates Forums.

In college, I knew I wanted to continue the work I had started in high school. When the opportunity of an internship opened up, I jumped at the chance! I knew that in this role I would be able to play a role in bringing students and the district closer together.

My goal is to centralize and highlight relevant opportunities, student organizations, district news, and scholarships for all students in San Diego Unified through various strategies (including this site, the @sdusdstudents Instagram page, and the monthly student newsletter), bridge the gap between district to student communication, increase student engagement, and empower students across our district because I believe students should be active partners in their education, not just recipients.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or suggestions! My email is lford@sandi.net.

This website would not have been possible without the support and collaboration with the Council of ASB Presidents, Environmental Literacy Taskforce, Interdivisional Curriculum Committee, Sexual Health Advisory Committee, Student Advisory Board, Student Equity Ambassadors, SWEAR Committee, Youth Advocacy Department, Communications Department, Board Office, Karina Ford, Doriane Zubkoff, Superintendent Dr. Lamont Jackson, Dr. Jennifer Roberson, Stacey Srsic, and Student Board Members Blessyn Lavender Williams and Matthew Quitoriano.

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