The St. Clair Catholic District School Board has appointed two students to the position of Student Trustee for the 2024-2025 term.  They are:

• Matt Moss – currently a Grade 10 student at St. Patrick’s Catholic High School, Sarnia
• Layla Hashim – currently a Grade 11 student at Ursuline College Chatham Catholic Secondary School

Matt believes his position as Catholic Student Trustee will help him gain experience both as an advocate and in decision-making. He also brings to the role his skills in communication and organization.

Matt has been an active member of the St. Patrick’s school community since Grade 9, joining many clubs and after-school activities that have allowed him to connect with a wide range of students, within the school community.

He currently holds the position of Minister of Public Relations on the St. Patrick’s Student Council. In addition, he is actively involved in the theatre community, which has helped to enhance his public speaking abilities.

Matt understands what it means to be a Catholic student and the importance of promoting and supporting Catholic education. He looks forward to his term as Student Trustee.

Layla is a well-rounded student and is heavily involved in both the school and the community. She is committed to various extracurricular activities, such as athletics, Lancerlink, yearbook and the arts. This year, she was especially excited to be named stage manager of the upcoming musical, Matilda. She maintains her involvement, while attaining a high academic standing and participating in academically enriching opportunities, such as the University of Waterloo Math Contest and Hackergals.

Outside of school, Layla prioritizes her personal fitness by working out regularly, spending time with family and friends and working at two part-time jobs, which reflect her passions: Her position at Sportchek, is enhanced by her active lifestyle and knowledge of fitness; and her tutoring position at Kumon gives her the opportunity to help younger students achieve academic success.

All of these experiences have brought Layla closer to her faith. She regularly devotes time for prayer. Layla’s diverse interests and dedication will enable her to represent the entire student body as a Student Trustee for Ursuline College Chatham Catholic Secondary School.

The Board of Trustees affirmed the elections of both Matt Moss and Layla Hashim at the Tuesday, March 26, 2024 Regular Board Meeting and appointed them to serve as student trustees for the next term, which runs from August 2024 to June 2025.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to welcome these outstanding secondary school leaders to the Board table for the 2024-2025 term,” says John Van Heck, Chair of the Board. 

“I would also like to thank our current student trustees, Georgia Pitblado and Lily Cole, for the reports they shared with us each month.  It is always such a joy to hear about the many exciting events and opportunities available to the students in our Catholic high schools,” says Mr. Van Heck.  “We wish them God’s blessings for much continued success in all their future endeavours.”