Ava Coates, a junior at Spruce Mountain High School is a student representative on the Regional School Unit 73 Board of Directors. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

LIVERMORE FALLS — Ava Coates is now a student representative to the Regional School Unit 73 Board of Directors. She fills one of two student seats on the board.

Ava’s application to serve on the board was approved — pending a student body vote at Spruce Mountain High School where she is a junior — by the Directors at the Nov. 18, 2021, meeting. Her first meeting as a member of the Board was Dec. 9. She recently replied by email to questions about her desire to serve on the board.

“I initially got the idea because my mom (Lenia Coates) has been on the school board for two years,” she wrote. “I also have had friends that have been student representatives in the past. I thought the idea sounded fun. It’s an extra grade in school and it looks good on a resume as well.”

Asked about her goals as a student representative Ava wrote, “I would like to encourage other students to get involved with the school board. We didn’t have a representative for most of last year and I’m the only one this year. I believe that the school board’s responsibility is to the students as well as staff and as students it is our responsibility to be part of that.”

Involvement in extra curricular activities takes up much of Ava’s time.

“My parents have always wanted me to be active and involved but left me to decide how I wanted to do that,” she wrote. “I’ve been in cross country, bowling and track for all three years at high school as well as middle school. I’ve been involved in drama with the plays since middle school as well.

“I’ve been in Envirothon throughout high school and I was in Robotics my freshman year and will be doing that again this year,” she noted. “I’ve also helped (mentor) the middle school Lego League team. I have just been invited to try out for the NHS (National Honor Society) but this will be my first year if I get in.”

Becoming a pharmacist is Ava’s current career goal.

“I would like to go to UNE or Husson — I haven’t toured the schools yet,” she wrote. “I have shadowed Steve Macki, one of the local pharmacists, and I think it is really cool that Spruce Mountain pharmacy compounds medications as well as using regular medications. I may want to look more into that, but am not quite sure yet.”

Ava is also active in the community.

“Since we moved up to Maine when I was in fifth grade, my family has tried to be involved in our community and really tried to get me involved to make our community a better place,” she wrote. “I have helped in the local food pantry and thrift store. I’m involved in my church youth group at St. Rose.

“Overall, I want to feel like I’ve done something to help people around me if I can,” Ava noted.