This week, State Senator Will Haskell (D-Westport) applauded Rishabh Bhandari of Wilton and Natalie Bandura of Westport, both of whom were confirmed by the Senate to become nonvoting student members of the State Board of Education. Both students were previously approved for the roles with unanimous support by the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee before Wednesday’s confirmation.
“Rishabh and Natalie are both exemplary students who have stepped up to make Connecticut schools better,” said Sen. Haskell. “As someone who believes deeply in the value of empowering young people to influence public policy, I’m so inspired by the work that Rishabh and Natalie are already doing. Their voices will be critical on the State Board of Education, and it was an honor to vote in favor of their confirmation today. I hope they will inspire other students to step forward and claim a seat at the table where decisions are made.”
Rishabh Bhandari, a senior at Wilton High School, was reappointed to the State Board of Education after having served since 2021. He is a National Honors Society member and participated in SEWA, or Service, for Community Initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Natalie Bandura, a senior at Staples High School, won first place in the state “We The People” Center for Civic Education team competition, is a member of the Latin Honor Society and previously worked for “Inklings,” Staples High’s student-run newspaper.