Colby Volkernick, a senior at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford, is serving in his second year as one of the student representatives on the RSU 10 Board of Directors, which represents Rumford, Mexico, Buckfield, Hanover, Hartford, Roxbury and Sumner.

Volkernick says his main role as a board member is to “best represent my fellow classmates the best way that I can (and to) provide the view of how the students are feeling in our district as a whole.”

For insights on Volkernick and how he thinks he and the student population at MVHS are managing as they deal with learning virtually and in-person during the ongoing pandemic, read on.

Name: Colby Volkernick

Age: 18

Hometown: Rumford

How long have you been on the RSU 10 Board of Directors and why did you choose to be a school board representative? This year marks my second year serving the students of Mountain Valley. Two years ago, I went to a board meeting and saw the previous student board member sitting on the board. I knew from there that I could make a positive difference on the board representing the students the best that I can.

How do you see your role on the board in connection to students at Mountain Valley High School and the board directors? My main role as a board member is to best represent my fellow classmates the best way that I can. I make sure that any concerns by students are raised, as I have many that contact me with questions about either a certain situation or how the process on the board works. To the board members, I feel like I am a valuable asset to the board as I provide the view of how the students are feeling in our district as a whole.

You seem to have a lot of confidence when you speak at board meetings. How do you explain your level of confidence especially when speaking with adult members of the board who may disagree with you? My confidence is a key piece of who I am. This is one of the main reasons why I believe that the students felt like I am the right choice for the position. I am sure to make sure research is done before taking a side, through both opinions of the students and the staff that I see on a daily basis. I am elected by the students, therefore I am sure to represent them in the way that most wish. While I do respect the adult members of the board, I am sure to state how the students feel about a subject whether my fellow board members would like to agree or not. The most important aspect during this is that I make sure I voice my view in a respectful and professional manner.

How are you managing with school and your other activities during the coronavirus pandemic? What are you hearing in general from students regarding virtual learning and hybrid learning at the high school? I personally feel like I am doing well with our current events happening in the world. To keep myself busy, you can find me working at Rumford Hospital on the weekends. Here, I mainly work in the position as a diet assistant taking the food orders of patients based on any dietary restrictions that they have. I could not ask for a better staff to work with at the hospital! I am also an all honors student, taking as many AP classes available to me and dual enrollment courses through UMA (University of Maine Augusta) and UMFK (University of Maine Fort Kent). In general, students are telling me that the staff at the high school is doing an amazing job with the situation we are put in. While some classes are harder virtual, such as labs for science classes, the staff is sure to provide the same quality of education that they provided during the school’s full-time status.

Many student-athletes came to a board meeting in September to give their views about wanting to play their sports even with the pandemic still going on in the community and in Maine. Did you take part in rallying students to speak at the meeting or was it more of a natural outcome of their concerns? Personally I did not take part in rallying students for this cause. However, I did support them as I am there to best represent the students. I am very lucky to work with such motivated and compassionate students that want to know how the process of the board works, and are sure to bring up any concerns that they may have.

What can teachers and students do to have better educational and social experiences at school and in virtual learning during the pandemic? I believe that both teachers and students have done well with the remote and hybrid instruction that our school district has been offering. I am also aware of this type of instruction due to the classes I take through the University of Maine at Augusta. The staff at MVHS has done a great job with making sure that social distancing protocols are followed, along with providing the same level of education with the current circumstances. I would like to say a special thank you to the Mountain Valley region principals for doing a magnificent job with the current circumstances: Matthew Gilbert (Mountain Valley High School), Ryan Casey (Mountain Valley Middle School), Jill Bartash (Rumford Elementary School), Kimberly Fuller (Meroby Elementary School), and Crystal Duguay (Western Foothills Regional Program).

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