Mt. Diablo HS junior Armando Soto is MDUSD's 2026-27 Student Board Member

MDUSD is pleased to announce the appointment of Mt. Diablo HS junior Armando Soto as the 2026-27 Student Board Member, who was sworn in by Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark at the Aug. 12 Governing Board meeting. Armando will attend Board meetings and represent the more than 29,000 students of the District. He will also coordinate the District's Student Advisory Committee. 

"I’m very excited to work with you this year to help build our community at the schools all around this District," Armando said, after taking the Oath of Office. He thanked his Mom, Aunt, Counselors and others who came to support him, adding, "It means a lot."

In his Student Board application, Armando said he cares deeply about representing students and making sure their voices are heard. "I want to help bridge the gap between students and school leadership by communicating student concerns and advocating for positive change," he said, adding that he has learned to listen carefully, collaborate with diverse groups of people and approach problems with empathy and responsibility through his leadership, internship and community program experiences. 

He is Vice President of the Mt. Diablo HS Associated Student Body (ASB), serving alongside President Arya Francis. "He's a really hard worker and I really appreciate all his time and effort," Arya said. "He's a guy you see everywhere and he does everything."

Armando is also President of the school's Sports Medicine team, is a member of the school's HOSA healthcare student association and the Cannabis Prevention Youth Coalition. He has served as an intern for East Bay CPR and the District's Expanded Learning Summer Program and is taking a rigorous course load that includes Leadership, AP Psychology, AP U.S. History, Pre-Calc Honors, Medical Science & Terminology, and Yearbook.   

One of his top priorities is improving access to mental health support and and student wellness resources. "By prioritizing mental health and wellness, the district can create safer, more supportive learning environments where students are better prepared to succeed academically, and personally," he said. 

Armando's teachers praised his leadership skills in their letters of recommendation. "Armando is a force for positivity and connection in our Mt. Diablo community, and I am sure he would be an asset to the whole district," wrote English teacher Jillian Laettner. "His leadership skills are evident, including the ability to stay quiet and listen. He will, without a doubt, hear the concerns of students who might otherwise be silent, either because no one thought to ask them or they felt that they were not important enough to be heard."

Art teacher Pari Chehrehsa said what stands out most about Armando is his genuine commitment to helping others and representing student voices. "I am confident that Armando will represent the students of MDUSD with professionalism, integrity, and compassion," she said.

Armando said his goal is not only to communicate students' voices to the Board, but also to let students know what the Board is doing and how its decisions may affect them. His Leadership Teacher and Yearbook Adviser Alena Mandel said he is already pursuing this goal at Mt. Diablo HS.

"Working with Armando as Vice President of ASB has been an inspiring time," she said Thursday. "Over summer, I saw him plan activities for this year with enthusiasm and a strong vision for our community of MDHS students. With this new position at the district, Armando will keep that enthusiastic lens of serving all MDUSD students first and foremost. Even today, he was discussing increasing student voice at the District level. I am so glad he has the opportunity to dive deeper into more meetings at MDUSD, and even policy. And who knows, maybe we'll see him on the ballot in a decade or so."