I am Jenniffer González, and I am running for a seat on the Summit School District Board of Education.

I was born and raised in Panama City, Panama. My mother is a retired teacher. I have a daughter in seventh grade at Summit Middle School.

I earned a bachelor’s degree in tourism business administration from Santa Maria La Antigua Catholic University in Panama. I earned a master’s degree in international tourism from Las Palmas Canary Island University in Spain. I am especially proud to be a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2010.

I have been a Summit County resident for 21 years. I have 17 years of case management experience at Summit Community Care Clinic. I had the opportunity to work with the older adults at Summit County Community & Senior Center. Currently, I work as the Connecting Families Bilingual Program lead in Youth and Family Services at Summit County Government.

I have served on several boards such as: Family & Intercultural Resource Center and Women of the Summit, CommonSpirit, St. Anthony’s Hospital. Currently, I serve on the CAFÉ Food Rescue Board. I am dedicated to serving the Summit County community and providing help and resources for those in need.

I work very closely with the Latino community. I have been and will be the voice of Latino community that has had no voice.

I enjoy spending time skiing with my family, and I love salsa music and dancing. 

I am the parent of a student in the Summit School District. I am very passionate and involved with my daughter’s education. I am particularly concerned and aware of the current condition of the school district and its academic ratings. As a board member, I will put my focus and effort as follows:

Priority No. 1: Improve basic academics

• Put a stronger emphasis on reading, math and word skills.
• Teach problem solving and critical thinking. Teach our kids how to think for themselves and learn to navigate their own opinions of our controversial issues.
• Ensure equal opportunity education for future generations. 
• Recruit middle and high school students to invest their community hours in mentoring elementary students that need help.
• Expand tutoring resources for kids that are struggling. 
• Ensure early screenings for neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, etc.
• Increase collaboration with specialists who can promptly evaluate root causes of student’s individual weaknesses.

Priority No. 2: Parental involvement

• Successful school systems have strong parental involvement. We must encourage parents to get involved in their kids’ education. This can only be achieved by maintaining parental awareness of their kid’s performances, attendance and needs.
• Use advisory committees to offer transparent communication to parents and provide proper resolutions to their issues.

Priority No. 3: Culture

• Create a culture of respect, acceptance and kindness among students, staff and community members including older adults.
• Assign group projects and activities that require students to work together towards a common goal.
• Embrace the differences among students and create opportunities for them to share their unique backgrounds and experiences.
• Establish intergenerational programs including mentoring, storytelling, workforce development and community services.

Jenniffer González is a candidate for Summit School District Board of Education. She can be reached at jgonzalez25@hotmail.com.