Page 8 - HIE Program 2024

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Nina Niu-Ok

Parent Volunteer of the Year
Nina Niu-Ok is a parent of a 9th grader at Granada Hills Charter High School
and a junior in college. She has over 16 years of experience volunteering at her
children’s schools, from pre-school to high school, from charter councils to PTSA
executive boards. She also volunteers extensively for her younger daughter’s high
school dance team, helping organize team events and providing rides to team
members to competitions. Nina’s interest in volunteering was cultivated early on
during her undergraduate years at UCLA, where she served as a project director
and Assistant Commissioner at the Community Service Commission within
student government.

Nina currently sits on the PTSA boards of her child’s high school as well as her
children’s former middle and elementary schools, Nobel CMS and Beckford Charter, respectively. She is
actively involved in all three schools, chairing and working various events. Nina enjoys working together
with other parents and school staff and administration to help enrich children’s educational experience. She
is grateful for her supportive husband and her two wonderful daughters, who motivate and inspire her to
be her best self each day.

Jennifer White
Administrative Support of the Year

Jennnifer White grew up in the San Fernando Valley and was an LAUSD student
herself while her father was an LAUSD middle school teacher. Initially, she became
an educator because she believes every child needs someone to encourage them,
see their value, and reveal to them the intelligence they own. Over the years, she has
come to also realize every teacher needs someone to support them with instruction,
student and parent relations, and the day-to-day tasks teaching encompasses. She has also come to recognize
that parents need a partner in providing effective social, emotional, and academic experiences for their child.
She has been an educator for over 20 years with spending half of her career teaching in the elementary
classroom and the other half serving as a Coordinator at Porter Ranch Community School where she supports
students, teachers, parents, and administration with academic and enrichment programs. Mrs. White is
responsible for fostering and maintaining academic excellence for all students including emergent bilinguals,
homeless and foster youth. She also sees families and community members as partners by working in tandem
with the school’s Governing School Council (GSC), PTA, Booster Committee, their feeder high school, and
local businesses to bring events and enriching programs to the students. Through this work, she partners
with vendors to bring enrichment programs to her school site such as Dance, Theater, and STEM hands-on
learning. Furthermore, she is the cadre chair for PRCS’s leadership committee who works with student leaders
to facilitate the Leader in Me program on campus to guide students in their development of leadership and
life skills to be highly effective people. Ultimately, she knows everyone needs a champion and strives to be
that for her school and her community.