Members of the student panel listen as the Jefferson Parish Sheriff candidates answer a question during the 90 minute forum.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff candidates John Fortunato and Joe Lopinto were the ones on stage, but the students were the stars of the first ever candidate forum in the Jefferson Parish Public School System.
High school students from across the district packed the JPPSS Administration Building Boardroom for The Students’ Candidate Forum. This student-led event was presented by JPPSS and The Jeremiah Group. A panel of 12 students asked questions of the two candidates for 90 minutes. The forum was moderated by Grace King High senior Melanie Medina and included a spoken word performance by West Jefferson High senior Rachel Ramos.
Sheriff candidates and members of The Jeremiah Group took time after the event to take a photo with the student panelists.
The student panelists were Davon McCann of Helen Cox High, Quincy McBurse of West Jefferson High, Kolbie Keiser of Bonnabel Magnet Academy High, Ozzie Ross III of Patrick F. Taylor Academy, Christopher LaSalle of John Ehret High, Isaias Lora-Chicas of Grace King High, Rory Jasper of Riverdale High, Kelsie Cooper of Fisher High, Angelica Nguyen of Thomas Jefferson High, Ashante Everett of East Jefferson High, Olymar Oceguera of Haynes Academy, and Khaelyn Jackson of Higgins High. These panelists represented their classmates, many of whom made up the capacity crowd.