Meet Sukriti Sehgal, Candidate For SRVUSD School Board

DANVILLE, CA — Patch reached out to all candidates for the SRVUSD Board of Trustees with identical questions about their background and their vision for San Ramon Valley schools. Here are the responses from Sukriti Sehgal, the candidate for Area 3 in San Ramon.

Responses have not been altered.

1. What is your personal, educational, and professional background?

I was born and raised in New Delhi, India, where my father was a physicist and professor at IIT Delhi and my mother was a school teacher. Growing up on the prestigious IIT campus with both parents in academics, instilled in me a deep appreciation for academic excellence and utmost respect for the role good teachers play in our lives. The school I attended ensured we received a well-rounded education with academics, extracurricular activities, sports and ample leadership opportunities to help us grow into thriving and driven individuals.

After getting a degree in Nutrition, I came to UC Davis for my M.S. in Food Science. While there, I met my husband. Upon completing our graduate studies, we moved to the Bay Area and set roots in San Ramon in 2005. We have two wonderful daughters, in elementary school and high school in the district.

I have been working as a food scientist in the corporate sector and the start-up world. I led
multifunctional teams to develop innovative food products, taking them from concept to market in addition to consulting for early-stage food startups. I also had the opportunity to go back to UC Davis as an adjunct professor and teach budding food scientists.

I am now looking forward to ensuring a better future and well-rounded education for the children in the San Ramon school district.

2. How long have you lived in the area?

We have lived in San Ramon for nearly 20 years and have seen it grow and become a magnet for multi-cultural diaspora over time.

3. What brought you here?

It started with a beautiful sunset… I remember driving up on Bollinger Canyon Rd. one evening with my husband, as the sun was reflecting off the windows, making everything below look golden. We were both mesmerized by the beauty. When it came time to set up a home, beautiful San Ramon was our first choice. It also checked all the right boxes such as safe neighborhoods, good schools, manicured landscapes, parks and an overall pleasant vibe. It felt like a place where we could start a family.

4. How have you been involved in the school district?

I have been closely involved with San Ramon school activities, volunteering at my children’s schools, Girls Scouts, Destination Imagination, sports and other activities for the past 10 years. I have worked closely with teachers and other parents as room mom during this time. I find it invigorating to create opportunities for the children and see them challenge themselves and blossom. I also continue to mentor my students from UC Davis in their journey through the food industry.

Outside of school activities, we have built a tradition to volunteer as a family twice a year. The last two times was beach cleanups. We also actively participate in the various cultural activities, which we are so lucky to have in San Ramon.

5. What do you feel are some of the biggest challenges facing SRVUSD?

• Budget: Our district, as many others, is facing a funding shortfall. This can have direct
  repercussions on the teachers we can retain, the facilities students will have, and programs schools can afford.
• Student Success Path: We need to ensure academic excellence at all levels – elementary, middle and high school. At present there is a huge jump from middle to high school in terms of academics, causing students to feel unprepared which adds to stress in high school. We also need to improve access to popular extra-curricular activities so all students have the opportunity to explore their interests. The auditions and try-outs at middle school level are restricting this access. While SRVUSD is an excellent school district and is the reason why so many young families move to this area, it is still rated a modest #27 in California and #179 in the country per Niche ratings. We can do a lot better than this.
• Community Voice: We need a better connection with students, teachers and parents to address a myriad of everyday issues which distract from creating a wholesome learning environment. We also need to better include parents in decision making.
• Mental & Emotional Health: DVHS while being high performing academically, has developed a poor reputation of being a high-stress environment for students. We want our kids to succeed while ensuring their mental and emotional wellbeing. In addition to academic stress in high school, we also need to address the social and emotional stress they face in middle school, in partnership with the parents.

6. What are your plans for addressing them?

• Budget: It is imperative that we make responsible choices, prioritize student educational
  programs and retaining teachers and staff over other expenditures. I will work with the district’s governing body and advisors to find ways to more efficiently utilize the budget.
• Student Success Path: My focus will be on ensuring that students have a solid academic foundation so that they are better prepared for the academic rigor needed in high school and they are able to excel in AP courses and other areas that help ensure higher success in college. I will ensure we provide ample opportunities for students to explore their interests in extra- curricular activities in middle school by increasing resources for the activities which tend to be popular and sought after. Lastly, I want to tap into the highly educated parent resource we are fortunate to have and bring their experience and expertise to weigh in on the curriculum and growth opportunities for the students.
• Community Voice: We want our students and teachers to be able to focus on learning and for parents to feel more connected and have a voice. Parents. I want to increase transparency and better include parents in decision making. I want parents to have visibility into what is being taught, the activities, concerns and discipline issues. Currently there seems to be minimal sharing of information starting in middle school. A large majority of the community in Area 3 consists of professionals, who having immigrated to the US, have the benefit of exposure to academic systems in two or more countries. I would like to see us benefit from this and bring the best of both worlds for our children. I want to tap into this community of highly educated and successful professionals, so our children are prepared to go out and compete on the world stage. I believe we don’t have to accept the status quo. We can rethink and make things better. Teachers & Staff. I would like to invest in the growth and development of our teachers and address their concerns so that they continue to be motivated and deliver on these expectations. Students. With ever-changing landscape of social and academic expectations, students have concerns and issues they face on an everyday basis. These are real concerns, which I will make sure are heard and addressed.
• Mental and Emotional Health: We need to be more proactive in reaching out to the students and understanding the root cause of the stress they face. This would mean taking the time to peel through the layers. Students don’t always feel comfortable reaching out for help in middle school or even high school. I will ensure we initiate these conversations where students can open up, and then take tangible steps to address those issues. Addressing the current academic gap between middle and high school, earlier college planning, teaching them tools to deal with stress are all steps that will allow the students to feel more prepared and calm.

7. What makes you the best candidate?

• Connect with the community in Area 3 – I am excited to bring the voice of the Asian American population to the table, something that is currently missing from the school board even though Asian Americans form the majority of the student community in Area 3. Being a parent from this community, I understand the value system and the perspective towards education. I want us as parents to be a part of the decision making. I want us to have transparency into what is being taught, the activities, concerns, discipline issues. As parents we want to be involved.
• Front row seat to issues – with a child in elementary school and another in high school, I have a front row seat of the issues students, teachers and parents face. Every other day I hear of some issue that comes up. I want to help solve these issues. As a parent, I have an emotional connection and can feel the good and bad of how school policies affect us.
• Problem solver - I am a problem solver. When I see an issue, I look for solutions versus excuses. I ask questions to get to the bottom of the problem, look for holistic solutions and ensure they are implemented on an acceptable timeline.
• No hidden agendas - I have no connections with special interest groups, which will allow me to think independently and do what is best for the students, teachers and parents. You will see and feel some positive change quickly.

8. Outside of politics, what do you enjoy doing?

Spending time with my family is my greatest joy. As a family we enjoy the outdoors – hiking, visiting national parks. I love mother-daughter trips for ice creams and boba! I like cooking and entertaining. We love exploring new restaurants as well as going back to old favorites.

9. Any other comments?

My vision is for SRVUSD to be one of the best in the nation. I want to see our students be prepared to walk out as responsible adults who can contribute positively to society and play on the world stage.