JERSEYVILLE - A Jersey Community High School student has been named to the Illinois State Board of Education Student Advisory Council.
Cloud Sutton, a senior at JCHS, was selected from a pool of 600 applicants to join the council with 22 other Illinois students. Sutton expressed his eagerness to jump in and noted a few of the issues he hopes to address.
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“I’m just super excited to be a part of it,” he said. “I’m honestly really honored to be selected.”
Sutton is a Medford Wealth Management Student of the Month at Jersey Community High School.
As part of his application, Sutton analyzed vaping and AI usage in schools. He polled his friends and family and found that everyone knew of someone under the age of 18 who vapes, which he found “so shocking.” He also spoke about AI policies and his belief that “it’s not something that schools can just avoid.”
Now, as a member of the ISBE Student Advisory Council, Sutton will be studying cell phone policies across the state. He explained that ISBE divides the students into smaller groups and assigns them a research topic to dive into. As he studies cell phone policies, Sutton is curious about what policies local districts have in place and whether or not Illinois should implement a statewide policy.
Beyond the ISBE Student Advisory Council, Sutton stays busy as a student at JCHS. He is involved in the Link Crew, Student Council, the Gay-Straight Alliance and Blue Crew. He is a member of the Jersey County CEO program and works part-time at Casey’s. He also regularly volunteers.
As he prepares to graduate, Sutton has big plans for after high school. He will enlist in the Army National Guard, then enroll at Lewis and Clark Community College. Eventually, he hopes to attend the University of Illinois in Springfield to double major in criminal justice and political science.
“After that, I plan to go to law school,” Sutton said. “I’m not sure where yet, but it’s definitely a really top priority and goal for me to eventually go to law school. After that, I think I’m just going to let life flow.”
He hopes to practice law for a few years and eventually start a career in politics, with aspirations to work in Washington, D.C. He believes the ISBE Student Advisory Council is a step in the right direction.
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