August 2, 2023:
Oliver DiMeo’s approach to rock climbing tells us a lot about how he will approach his new position as a Student Representative to the Taconic & Green Regional District School Board. “I stand at the base of the climb and study the rock formation to plan out a route,” says DiMeo. “Once I see the path, it’s time to start moving.”
The T&G Board approved DiMeo’s nomination as a Student Representative at the June Board Meeting. The Long Trail rising junior will participate in his first formal meeting of the Board on August 15th. In his new role, DiMeo will join the T&G’s other Student Representative, senior Kate LeVine of Burr & Burton Academy, who is serving her second year in this capacity.
“We added student representatives to our board in 2020 and they immediately added an important perspective to our discussions,” says T&G Board Chair Herb Ogden. “Oliver and Kate, for example, will play an important role in our discussions about a regional middle school. They have recent experience that the rest of us don’t.”
DiMeo is eager to actively participate on the Board: “Most people consider me a quiet person, but I believe that’s just evidence that I’m a good listener. When I’m silent I’m actually observing and when I have something of value to contribute, I will not hesitate to raise my hand.”
Despite DiMeo’s heavy workload at school as an International Baccalaureate (IB) Degree candidate and his upcoming responsibilities with the T&G Board, he still finds time for extracurricular activities. He is a member of Long Trail’s varsity rock climbing team and National Honor Society, in addition to actively participating in a number of school clubs.
“This year I’m especially looking forward to my work as the Co-President of the Social Justice Club,” he says. “We will identify issues of importance to our community and then engage our classmates in discussions at school to determine how we might contribute to a solution. The absence of local affordable housing is just one example of topics we can explore.”
DiMeo also sees his Board work as an opportunity to learn more about the inner workings of local government and advocate his thoughts on the importance of student-teacher collaboration in learning. “All of us learn differently and working together in a shared environment allows the student to communicate what works best for them.”
The Long Trail junior claims to be spending his time relaxing this summer as he prepares for a busy year at school, but that sounds a bit unlikely. He is polishing up his skills as a guitarist. “I love music,” he says. "I caught the music gene from my parents.” DiMeo’s favorite guitarist is the innovative Jimi Hendrix. “He totally changed the way we play.”
Oh, and let’s not forget to mention that DiMeo is taking lessons during the dog days of summer to earn an airplane private pilot’s license. And, finally, he plans to set aside two weeks in August building homes for Habitat for Humanity.
This June, DiMeo spent a fortnight with his fellow Long Trail classmates touring the national parks out west. His favorite was Zion in Southwest Utah that features steep red cliffs. “It was beautiful. I loved the rock formations.” And he likely was planning a route to climb to the top.
Look for DiMeo to add his unique set of observational and participatory skills in his new role as a Student Representative to the T&G Board. As usual, he has no way to go but up.