At the September 14, 2026, School Board meeting, Fernan Aguayo, a junior at Monroe High School, was officially sworn in as the newest student representative to the Monroe School District Board of Directors.

Fernan will serve alongside Rena Shaw-Woldman, a senior at Sky Valley Education Center, who is beginning the second year of her two-year term. Fernan begins the first year of his two-year term and will transition into the senior student representative role following Rena’s graduation.

Meet Fernan Aguayo

Fernan is an active student leader at Monroe High School. He serves as president of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (Spanish Honor Society), is a member of the National Honor Society and is a dedicated peer tutor. He also earned a score of 5, the highest possible score, on the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam last spring.

His accomplishments extend beyond the classroom. Fernan is also a published author. His book, Foreigner, was published in 2025.

This past summer, Fernan was accepted into a highly selective program focused on neurodiversity through Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education. At 16, he was one of the youngest students in the program and one of only a small number of participants from the United States.

During the intensive program, Fernan studied neurodiversity from both medical and educational perspectives, including how differences in the way people think, learn and process information can be better understood and supported. Students also explored ways schools and other systems can create environments where people with different strengths and ways of learning can thrive.

For his capstone project, Fernan wrote a children’s book about three neurodivergent children with different challenges who come together to support one another and discover the strength of community.

Fernan successfully completed the program with an A and earned four university credits from Harvard.

Elevating Student Voice

Student representatives bring an important perspective to the Monroe School District Board of Directors, helping Board members and district leaders better understand the experiences, priorities and perspectives of students.

With Rena and Fernan serving on the Board during the 2026–27 school year, students from both Sky Valley Education Center and Monroe High School will have a direct voice in district-level conversations and decision-making.

Please join us in congratulating Fernan Aguayo on his new role and thanking Rena Shaw-Woldman for her continued service and leadership on behalf of Monroe School District students.