At the May 14 Brea Olinda Unified School District board meeting, Grant Ahn (‘27) was presented as the 2026-2027 student board member.
Ahn will serve side-by-side with board members Carrie Flanders, Deana Miller, Joseph Covey, Natalie Johnson, and Paul Ruiz, and fulfill duties ranging from attending open-session board meetings, visiting the district’s schools, proposing advisory group meetings, and discussing agenda items.
Of his appointment, Ahn said he’s looking forward to representing “a wide range of students from not just sports or in school, but [also] different things within the community.”
Ahn, following an application process that included letters of recommendation and interviews, was selected by board members and Superintendent Brinda Leon to serve on the board. Ahn’s term officially begins Aug. 20.
Miller, board vice president, was especially impressed with Ahn’s letters of recommendation and his eloquence during the interview.
According to BOUSD Public Media and Relations Specialist Melissa Serrato, another factor in Ahn’s selection was his history of attendance in Brea schools, from Mariposa Elementary School, to Brea Junior High School, and currently BOHS, where he serves as ASB treasurer, secretary of Key Club, and plays varsity football.
Ahn acknowledged that football taught him discipline and also influenced him to get involved in volunteer work. “Coach [Justin Villasenor] really emphasizes the need for community service and showing out for Brea, so I’ve just always been out in the community,” Ahn said. “Whenever there’s volunteer events, I’m always there just helping out.”
Some of the service projects Ahn has worked on include the annual Brea 8K, cultural celebrations held by the Brea Korea Sister City Association, and food banks hosted by Living Hope Community Church.
Through his community service, Ahn has learned how to “understand the community and foster relationships” with Brea residents, a trait that former student board member Angela Sohn (‘26) believes will be an asset for his term.
“He’s always doing service events and community projects, and he’s really empathetic,” Sohn said. “I really think that he will do a good job representing all of our students.”
Ahn’s altruism has also been shaped by his family. At the board meeting, Grant credited his parents’ encouragement to work with BOUSD schools as his motivation to co-found a chapter of Math4Kids, which holds math tutoring sessions at Mariposa Elementary School.
After Ahn is officially inaugurated into his position at the Aug. 20 board meeting, he hopes to use his experience serving the different communities in Brea and the values reinforced by his parents and football coaches to leave a lasting “positive impact.”
“I want to leave an environment [that] students can thrive in,” Ahn said.
