From Left through Right:
Mara Cervantes-THS Alternate, Vanney Martinez-THS, Angelica Castillo-MHS, Alejandro Zavalza-MHS Alternate, Meleah Mejia-MSHS Alt, Jocelyn Castro-MSHS
Mara Cervantes-THS Alternate
Mara Cervantes is a 17 year old senior at Matilda Torres High School, where she excels academically holding a 4.5 GPA. As a three-time, three-sport varsity athlete, Cervantes demonstrates her commitment to teamwork, determination, and perseverance. With a strong passion for serving and leading others, Mara serves as President and Founder of Catholic Youth United and President of the Madera Leos Club. She is also a member of the Torres School Site Council and the California Scholarship Federation. Guided by her faith, Cervantes strives to make a positive impact anyway she can, volunteering regularly at St. Joachim Catholic Church and within the MUSD community.
As a student leader passionate about making a difference and empowering her peers,
Mara Cervantes is eager to serve as an MUSD Student Board Member. She aims to amplify the voices of students who may feel marginalized or hesitant to share their thoughts, ensuring that every student feels seen, heard, and valued. Cervantes hopes to foster an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are celebrated and every student has the opportunity to thrive. Through active listening and advocacy, she plans to make a positive impact on her school and district community, promoting equity, understanding, and student success. Mara Cervantes is honored to be serving on the Student Board and looks forward to collaborating with fellow educators, administrators, and students to spark meaningful change.
Vanney Martinez-THS
Trustee Vianney Martinez Luna is 17 years old and was born in Guanajuato Mexico and currently lives in Madera. She is a senior at Matilda Torres High school where throughout the years she has participated in multiple variety sports such as track, cross country, and softball. She is also an active member of her schools HOSA, Catholic Youth United, and CSF clubs. All while holding a 4.0 GPA. As a Student Board Member, Vianney aims to be the bridge of communication between the students and administrators. Encouraging students to advocate for what they truly need and want all while finding positive and cooperative solutions. She is honored and thrilled to be serving this year and can’t wait to make an impact.
Angelica Castillo-MHS
Trustee Angelica Castillo is 17 years old and is an incoming Senior at Madera High School. Angelica enjoys engaging with people from all walks of life through clubs, sports, events, and work. After 13 years of competitive gymnastics experience, she transitioned to varsity cheerleading, participating both on the sideline and in competitive teams. She is also the captain of the Madera Unified Varsity Gymnastics team. Along with this, she is a recreational gymnastics coach at the local gymnastics and dance facility, All About Dance and Gymnastics. As for clubs, Angelica has been known for her “tendency to talk and enjoys learning how to constructively debate in Mock Trial, how to properly communicate in Academic Decathlon, and how to foster altruism through community service-oriented clubs like CSF, Block M, and Link Crew.
Trustee Castillo aims to cultivate communication, confidence, and courage in her school and district. She plans to reinforce existing communication opportunities while also creating new physical, in-person interfaces, where students and administration can have necessary and productive conversations. She also hopes to inspire a sense of courage and confidence in her peers who share her passion for student voice and advocacy. She is simply the bridge of communication between students and the administration, who care deeply about improving and maintaining our amazing community! Courage is contagious, and Trustee Castillo hopes that her peers, classmates, and friends will join her in her journey of making a difference.
Alejandro Zavalza-MHS Alternate
Trustee Alejandro Zavalza is 16 years old, was born in Palo Alto, and currently lives in Madera. He attends Lincoln Elementary, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, and is currently a senior at Madera High School. He is actively involved in Link Crew, CSF, AVID, and the Class of 2026 at Madera High School. Alejandro is also engaged in academic programs, including Fresno State Upward Bound. He plays varsity soccer and holds a black belt in karate, which he earned at age 13.
As a student board member, he aims to become a voice for students to advocate for their insights to improve their education, well-being, and create a positive environment within the community. He is excited and honored to start his mark to create an impact.
Meleah Mejia-MSHS Alt
Meleah Mejia is a 17 year old senior at Madera South high school. She’s very involved with the MSHS marching band/concert band, dedicating her entire high school career to the activity as well as being very engaged with the medical pathway and was recently accepted to be a part of their rop nursing program. Other achievements such as being a varsity track athlete, a member of the fashion club, and achieving a 4.0 gpa, are all accomplishments she has required. As a student board member she hopes to uphold the role of representing the voices of her peers, advocating for their concerns, and ensuring their perspectives are accounted for. She feels that this will not only enlighten the environment of her school, but also better the community around it.
Jocelyn Castro-MSHS
Trustee Jocelyn Castro is 16 years old and was born in Madera. She is a junior at Madera South High School, where she is a part of the Madera South cheer and dance team and stunt. She is also an active member of CSF, HOSA, CYU, LYU, and a part of the gang prevention action team while representing her class of 2027. All while holding a 4.0 GPA throughout the school year. During after school hours she volunteers to teach young girls and boys gymnastics, cheer, and dances! For her community she volunteers to clean her church and class rooms.
As a student board member, Jocelyn’s is dedicated to representing students’ voices and creating a positive change!