Puma activist — Janae Burgess

Janea Burgess at the ocean ( Courtesy of Marcela Burgess)

By Chase Soylu Chee, staff writer

Amid years of disasters that have rocked our schools and students across the District, senior Janae Burgess emerged as a steady force on campus, leading students to use their voices and funnel change within Maria Carrillo High School.

After the deadly stabbing of a Montgomery High School student in March 2023, Burgess found herself in the newly formed Student Voice Club, which organized the walkouts and protests regarding school safety and transparency. 

However, not everyone becomes an activist overnight. Burgess always thought that student representation was lacking at school and founded the Student Voice Club as an opportunity to highlight issues that people often ignore. 

“I always thought that the student voice was unrepresented in our school. I thought that it could have more of a spotlight because in our assembly, we talk about a lot of important issues, and it’s a really great opportunity. It is important for the student body to hear,” said Burgess. 

The Student Voice Assembly, which began two years ago, allowed individual students to share their perspectives on issues and problems across the campus and globally. 

This new assembly allowed Burgess to give a speech regarding fast fashion, an issue she sees growing in accordance with MCHS students. Fast fashion represents the rapid production of inexpensive, trendy clothing that is only used shortly before being discarded or broken down into waste.

In the following year, Burgess became the club’s president and planned and ran the assembly on a larger scale. Along with that overwhelming task, she spoke to administrators and went to meetings to address student concerns such as bathrooms, school transparency, and safety. 

“Since my freshman year, I would always hear students just talking with each other about issues. And it never really reached the administrators. And so, with these complaints… there was just a large disconnect between the students' knowledge and the administrators who have the actual knowledge,” said Burgess. 

Becoming the president was not the only thing that changed Burgess; it was also the responsibility of taking her work to the next level. Burgess grew alongside her work, not only as a leader but as a person. 

“You really have to fight to get your voice heard, because you talk with people or try and get something done and you know, they don’t follow up, or you just have to really pester them,” said Burgess. “I developed maturity while dealing with these issues and dealing with administrations, and by learning how to engage with and follow up with important people, I’ve learned how much it really takes.” 

Burgess acknowledged that Santa Rosa City Schools and Maria Carrillo High School still have a long way to go with transparency and safety being the biggest issues. Instead of having groups like Student Senate and Leadership represent such a diverse school, Burgess believes there should be a broader public outreach program that includes all students on campus.

“There’s Leadership, and they have [these] school Student Senate meetings. But I think it should be the whole student body because with leadership and the Senate, you don’t get such diverse thoughts and opinions,” suggested Burgess. 

One change that the administration made throughout the years was the Youth Truth Survey. This survey offers the district an insight into student problems, but while the outcomes are valuable, it does not give the administration a clear solution to said problems. 

“In the survey, it’s like ‘how many times this month have you felt sad?’ And it’s more kind of an individual student experience. I think it should be more, ‘what do you think of this issue?’ or ‘how can this be solved?’” said Burgess. 

Like the Youth Truth Survey, Burgess believes school issues often go unsolved because District administration isn’t present on campuses day-to-day like students.

“Administrations are always trying to fix things, but they’re not the ones going to classes and being students,” she says. “Students know more about what it’s like to be a student–they should be listened to.” 

Looking ahead, Burgess plans to join activism organizations in college and continue advocating for issues she’s passionate about. She believes that with a more diverse and empowered student body, her efforts can be amplified and have a greater impact.

Student Voice Assembly cast ( Natalia Woods/ The Puma Prensa)

While the future is still unfolding, Burgess remains committed to advocacy. Through the Student Voice Club, she has helped students bring their concerns directly to the student body and administration. This semester, she continues working with the club to address those issues and push for meaningful change.

In collaboration with Puma Prensa, Burgess helped raise awareness about the recent school closures and has turned her attention to other pressing matters. She is now focused on informing students about graduation requirements, addressing bathroom issues, tackling the spread of drugs, and clearing up ongoing confusion within the school community. 

As she reflects, “[Activism] is a very brave and powerful thing that a person can do. And I’ve always really admired people who can speak up and use their voice, leadership, and collaborative skills to create positive change.” 

Through her leadership, Burgess has championed student representation, safety, and transparency, inspiring others to take action. As she moves forward, her commitment to advocacy remains as strong as ever, proving that real change starts with action.