A true veteran of the district, senior Surina Naran was recently honored with the Spirit of San Juan award for her involvement in numerous district programs and initiatives.

“It’s really nice to know that the community I appreciate also appreciates me,” she said.

Following a nomination process, the district spoke with those familiar to each candidate and ultimately selected six honorees. After spending her whole life in the district, Naran has had many opportunities to interact with different people and reach out to her peers. She has given a variety of presentations to the Board of Education and has helped spearhead the district’s work on updating the dress code. She said that hearing fellow students stories about the dress code was very influential for her.

“It’s a really nice way to end my time in this school district,” Naran said. She is happy to “have the support from the district as I move forward into life.”

Naran plans to study public policy and political science with a focus on technology policy at Stanford University.

“I want to go into a place where I can create positive change,” she said. “I really plan to bring the spirit of helping others into my career.”