Senior For A Day: Burbank Community Leaders Return To High School

After the success of last year’s inaugural Senior For A Day program, community leaders once again joined local high school seniors at Burbank and John Burroughs High Schools to learn about each other’s lives. On Monday, October 15, the nearly 20 pairs of adults and students attended classes, toured respective campuses, shared lunch and talked about the similarities and differences in their lives.

Students talked about their experiences in school and their aspirations, along with the challenges they face in their daily lives. Community representatives shared their experiences and perspectives about adulthood.

Burbank Unified Superintendent Matt Hill attended the welcome ceremony and the lunch and spoke about the importance of working collaboratively with others for the good of the community and school.

“As the coordinator of the Senior For A Day event, I so enjoy seeing the positive reaction that the students and the community leaders have from spending time together,” commented program founder Linda Walmsley.

“It is amazing to see the community leaders overwhelmed by the challenges faced by today’s youth and to see the students absorb the information that the community leaders give to them about succeeding in the complex world they are entering.”

Associated Student Body (ASB) advisors John Wells (BHS) and Jessica Palaski (JBHS) coordinated the events and activities at each school site.

Community members from local businesses, the Burbank Police Department, St. Joseph’s Medical Center and the non-profit world, in addition to a few elected officials from the City, spent time with the high school seniors.

Burbank High School welcomed adult participants Evan Gordon, Vicki Cusumano, Emily Gabel-Luddy, Laureen Endoso, Trena Pitchford, Debbie Kukta, Barry Burnett, Steve Roman and Randy Blum. Burroughs was visited by Tom Vice, Bob Frutos, Sharon Draper, Mary Cutone, Dana Morris, Luis Centeno, Michael Mayne, Eric Foster and Karel Castro.