Isiah Martin and Lyn Ampey named new Student Board Representatives

The Minneapolis Board of Education has announced juniors Isiah Martin and Lyn Ampey will serve as the 2025 Student Board Representatives. Martin and Ampey were selected for their roles by fellow students on the Minneapolis Public Schools’ (MPS) CityWide Student Leadership Board after an application and interview process.

At Camden High School, Isaiah Martin is an active student leader in his school community. As part of the Camden Beacons Leadership Team (BLT), Good Trouble, BSU, and Student Council, Martin consistently advocates for his peers and the Northside. He has been involved in the “Change the Name” process that renamed Camden from its former name, Patrick Henry High School. Through his work on the “Teen Tech Squad” at Hennepin County Library, Martin helps deliver STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) learning activities for youth at participating libraries.

According to Camden Principal Liza Anderson Schmid, Martin is “a fantastic listener, a thoughtful, critical thinker and is a strong advocate for authentic youth voice and perspective on topics and issues facing our young people today.”

At Southwest High School, Lyn Ampey has dedicated herself to creating opportunities for marginalized students both inside and outside of school. When Ampey started school at Southwest, she had a passion for medicine but noticed there were no clubs focused on this topic. So, she started a club dedicated to teaching students about the medical field and post-high school careers paths in medicine. In addition to being a member of the National Honor Society and the Black Student Union, Ampey is also a member of Southwest’s Site Council.

Southwest Principal Dr. Ed Bennett describes her as a driven student who will advocate for student voices, especially marginalized ones.

“Lyn is respected by her peers, teachers and staff at Southwest. I believe she’ll prove to be an asset to the school board by first listening to her fellow students, then using her platform to find the best way to respond to their ideas and concerns.”

Martin and Ampey will alternate being the primary speaker at board meetings but will keep up on board actions by reviewing materials and watching meeting videos when not in attendance. Additionally, the two will meet regularly with board staff to prepare for meetings and coordinate other duties.

Student representatives provide an important perspective and give voice to those at the heart of MPS’s work: students. The school board has appointed a student representative since 2015, and for the past four years there have been two student representatives.