High school students create content for new Utica Community Schools Instagram account

SHELBY TOWNSHIP/UTICA/STERLING HEIGHTS — There is a new effort on social media this year to connect the four Utica Community Schools comprehensive high schools and give parents and the community an idea of what’s happening inside the schools.

Eight high school students are taking turns creating the content that is shared on the Instagram account @UCSstudents, which began just before the current school year. The district invited the students to participate.

Jessica Barsoum, a Stevenson High School junior who came up with the idea last year and is a member of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Board, said the experience thus far has been amazing and she likes working with everyone on the team.

“We’ve been able to share activities with students and show how awesome our student body really is in ways other than academics. @UCSstudents is important because there are thousands of students in the district and a lot of them were disconnected from their school in a way they grew up with. The page allows students to know what’s going on in their school as well as others in the district,” she said via email.

Mikayla Mazza, a Henry Ford II High School senior, said her experience with @UCSstudents so far has been great. She has enjoyed posting about the events at her school and seeing what other students post from their schools.

“I also really love that we can be really creative with our ideas and think outside the box on our posts. I think @UCSstudents is so important because it is truly what the average student is interested in. Everyone can see themselves represented on a platform that is made specifically for them,” she said in an email.

Melak Mardo, a Gene L. Klida Utica Academy for International Studies sophomore, is another contributor to @UCSstudents.

“I got to meet with students from all over the district and it’s really cool when all of us are brainstorming ideas and are just in the creative zone when creating the posts. Coming together as students from different schools is really fun and interesting. I always get to hear about unique events that are happening at each school in UCS. I feel @UCSstudents is important for UCS because it allows the students to see what is happening not only at their school but at schools all over the district. This Instagram account also engages students because it’s coming from the students,” Mardo said in an email interview.

Besides students, parents and community members can follow the account to get a better idea of what’s happening in the schools.

“This new means of communication helps engage our students by highlighting the positive things that are happening across our high schools,” UCS Superintendent Robert S. Monroe said.

To learn more, follow @UC Sstudents on Instagram.