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Two students from District 202 have been selected to serve on the Illinois State Board of Education’s Student Advisory Council (SAC) for the 2025-26 academic year. District 202 is the only district in Illinois with two representatives on this year’s 21-member council.
Mowosimi Kolawole, a junior at Plainfield North High School, and Miranda Moreno-Balderas, a sophomore at Plainfield South High School, were chosen through a competitive application and interview process. The SAC was established in 1975 to give high school students an opportunity to develop leadership skills and advise the State Board on education policy.
Kolawole serves as PNHS Junior Class Representative and is founder of the nonprofit FoodEco. He said he applied to the council “to serve his community.” Kolawole stated, “I’ve always been passionate about helping out in any way that I can. When I saw an opportunity to directly benefit my community by serving on the Student Advisory Council, I had to apply.” He plans to focus on student mental health and motivation during his term. “I enjoy connecting with my peers and working together to achieve our goals,” he said.
Moreno-Balderas is active in Student Council, Key Club, and tutoring at PSHS. She is also completing her associate’s degree in paralegal studies at Joliet Junior College while taking legal courses at Northwestern University. She aims for a career in corporate law. “I did not expect my application process to go the way it did, and I’m very grateful for this privilege,” she said. Moreno-Balderas added, “I hope to turn artificial intelligence use into something positive for students, and I’d love to explore community business partnerships to bring new options into school cafeterias.” She described her favorite part of PSHS as its welcoming and diverse atmosphere: “The atmosphere is very positive and makes me happy to learn more,” she said.
State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders praised council members across Illinois: “This group represents the best of Illinois’ student leaders, who are ready to use their voices to address challenges and shape solutions.”
District leaders also recognized the appointments. PNHS Principal Ross Draper commented: “We are excited and proud to have Mowosimi representing Plainfield North and the entire District 202 community on the ISBE Student Advisory Council.”
District 202 congratulated both Kolawole and Moreno-Balderas on earning this statewide honor.
The ISBE SAC meets throughout the year with policymakers, stakeholders, and community partners to research key issues, discuss ideas, and present recommendations directly to the State Board of Education. As representatives, Kolawole and Moreno-Balderas will work with other student leaders from across Illinois so that high school perspectives are included when shaping policies affecting learning environments.
Council members are selected through a rigorous process involving a written application and video interview where students demonstrate communication skills, leadership potential, and passion for improving education in Illinois.
Plainfield North High School serves grades 9 through 12 with an enrollment of 2,309 students during the 2019-2020 school year according to data from Illinois Report Card. Of these students, grade 11 made up about 23 percent of enrollment while grade 9 had the highest concentration at approximately 26 percent (source). The school's demographic breakdown included about two-thirds white students alongside Black (6.8 percent), Hispanic (13.2 percent), and Asian (9.1 percent) populations (source).
