November 10, 2022
By Emily Mibach
Daily Post Staff Writer
A Stanford sophomore who was elected to the Sequoia Union High School District’s board has plans to bring a fresh perspective to the board as someone who has experienced the district firsthand.
Sathvik Nori, 19, has maintained a lead ahead of Atherton resident and nonprofit director Jo-Ann Byrne Sockolov. His parents, who work in tech, are immigrants from India, where his family has a long civic history. One of his grandfathers was a police chief and his grandmother taught in public schools in India.
“I am glad to bring some of that to America,” Nori said.
Nori lives at home in Atherton. Only freshmen at Stanford have to live on campus.
Nori got a taste for serving on the board when he was the student trustee during the 2020-2021 academic year during the Covid pandemic, when the district struggled with reopening classrooms.
Nori said it was a bit premature to announce what his first initiative will be upon being sworn into the seat, but said he wants to take a hard look at the district and come up with a plan for changes.
He also wants board members to go to the district’s schools, walk the campuses and talk to students there to really get a good grasp as to what is happening at the schools they govern.
Nori ran on the idea of ensuring all students, no matter how they are doing in school. This includes expanding the electives offered to those less interested in reading, writing and arithmetic.
“Some need more targeted attention, support and services. But it is important that every student has the resources for a rigorous and challenging education,” Nori said.
Nori boasted support from nearly all sides of the county’s political spectrum. He’s registered to vote as No Party Preference. But supporters included State Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, current school board members Carrie DuBois and Rich Ginn, Menlo Park Councilman Ray Mueller, Harbor Commissioner and Menlo Park Dire board member Virginia Chang Kiraly and Atherton councilman Bill Widmer.
Nori credited his widespread support to a lot of people thinking that it is good to have a young person involved in making decisions about education. And he had supporters tell him that while they may not agree with his philosophy on everything, they want to see a recent district graduate on the board.
“I don’t think I need a single ideology” to be on the school board, Nori said.
Aside from his studies at Stanford, where he is yet to declare a major, Nori is also on San Mateo County’s Juvenile Justice Commission, which advocates for programs and services that can help imprisoned youth re-enter society and not reoffend.