For the First Time, Students to Serve as Ex-Officio Members to the Official Policy-Making Body of Yonkers Public Schools

L-R: Yonkers City Council Whip Deana Robinson; Yonkers City Council Lakisha Collins-Bellamy; Yonkers Board of Education Student Trustee William Williams; Yonkers Board of Education Student Trustee Jaelynn Wesley; Yonkers Board of Education Student Trustee Margaret Ennin; Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano; Yonkers Board of Education Student Trustee Rafael Diaz; Yonkers City Council Majority Leader John Rubbo; Yonkers Board of Education President Dr. Rosalba Corrado DelVecchio; Yonkers City Council Member Tasha Diaz; Yonkers Board of Education Trustee Sheila Greenwald; Superintendent of Schools Aníbal Soler

For the First Time, Students to Serve as Ex-Officio Members to the Official Policy-Making Body of Yonkers Public Schools 

YONKERS, NY – April 8, 2025 – Mayor Mike Spano today swore in four Yonkers Public Schools students to the Yonkers Board of Education. As non-voting ex-officio trustees of the Yonkers Board of Education, the students join a nine-member Board, which is the official policy-making body of the School District.

“I am very proud to appoint some of Yonkers Public Schools’ finest young men and women to the Yonkers Board of Education,” stated Mayor Spano. These students are the very best and brightest of our student body, exemplifying their commitment to education, fostering communication and leadership among their peers. Congratulations to them all – I am excited to see what their future holds.”

Mayor Spano appointed the following Yonkers Public Schools student trustees to the Yonkers Board of Education:

William Williams – Williams is a senior at Saunders Trade & Technical High School and will serve as a trustee through the end of the school year. He is an active member of Yonkers My Brother’s Keeper, Music Club, Shared Decision-Making Team, Student Government and Skills USA, where he recently was named State Champion in Prepared Speech. Williams plans to attend Emory University in the fall.

Jaelynn Wesely – Wesely is a senior at Yonkers High School and will serve as a trustee through the end of the school year. She serves as a Junior Senator of the Yonkers High School Council and is a member of the Unified Students Leadership Council, Big 5 Schools Lobby Group, Yearbook Club and has been on the Principals List and High Honor Roll since 2021.

Rafael Diaz –Diaz is a junior at Saunders Trade and Technical High School and will serve as an alternate to the Board. Diaz is enrolled in the Electrical Computer Circuity CTE Program and recently attended New York University’s Cyber Security program. He is an active member of his school’s Robotics Club and the Unified Yonkers Student Leadership Council.

Margaret Ennin – Ennin is a junior at Lincoln High School and will serve as an alternate to the Board. She is the Vice President of the school’s Film Club and Newspaper Club and the Student Council Secretary. Ennin also is a member of the Science National Honor Society, Social Studies National Honor Society and is on the school’s Principals List.

As ex-officio members of the Yonkers Board of Education, the student trustees will sit with the Board at public meetings and hearings and participate in other board activities at the Board's discretion. They will not attend executive sessions or other non-public meetings.

Board of Education President Dr. Rosalba Corrado Del Vecchio noted, “On behalf of the Board of Education, I’m thrilled to welcome William, Margaret, Rafael, and Jaelynn as our student trustees. They join us as colleagues, bringing fresh voices and lived experiences that enrich our conversations and decisions. We value their insight and their commitment to representing their peers with integrity and heart. Yonkers is fortunate to have such thoughtful young people stepping up — we’re excited to listen, to learn, and to lead together.”

Superintendent of Yonkers Public Schools Aníbal Soler, Jr., commented, “It’s a historic moment, welcoming these four incredible student representatives to the Yonkers Board of Education. These young leaders are stepping into an important role — not only as the voice of their own schools but as advocates for over 24,000 students. Their presence reminds us why we do this work. I look forward to hearing their perspectives, learning from their experiences, and working alongside them to move Yonkers Public Schools forward. They’re already making their schools and their city proud.”

In September 2024, New York State Legislation was passed and signed requiring school districts to have at least one non-voting student representative on its Board of Education. New York State Senator Shelley Mayer, of Yonkers, sponsored the legislation.

State Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, “I am delighted to join Mayor Mike Spano and Superintendent Aníbal Soler, Jr. in congratulating and welcoming four Yonkers Public Schools students as non-voting ex-officio members of the school board. I proudly sponsored the legislation that requires all school districts to have one student member and, as Chair of the Senate Committee on Education, I am excited to see the active role these students will take and how it will positively impact our school community. These students will bring valuable perspectives as they step into their roles as members of our shared civil society. Congratulations to the Seniors William Williams and Jaelynn Wesley and the Junior alternates, Rafael Diaz and Margaret Ennin”

“Special thanks to our State Senator Mayer for her insight and leadership in ensuring our students are given seats at the table and their voices are heard,” added Mayor Spano. “These historic appointments will set our students and District up for future successes and provide us unique insights into the experience of a Yonkers Public Schools student.”