In September 2022, a citizen born and bred in Boise sent shockwaves through the city and beyond by winning a seat on the Boise School District Board over an incumbent candidate. While that may sound like a ho-hum development, one key detail made Shiva Rajbhandari’s victory so special that it drew national media attention: The teen was still a senior at Boise High School.
“Since kindergarten, my teachers have told me daily, ‘Your voice has power, and you can make a difference in this world,’” Rajbhandari revealed about a critical lesson learned early in life.
Rajbhandari continued carrying that message to heart and putting it into action after joining the school board. In 2023, this Boise hero and a friend launched the Eve Devitt Fund “to ensure that finances don't prevent any Idaho young person from getting the [health] care they need,” the political wunderkind said.
Rajbhandari added: “You can't learn if you don't feel safe, loved, respected and valued, and too many students do not feel this way at school, at home, or in our community. For years, I've seen the heartbreaking effects of stigmatization and inadequate treatment of mental health had on my peers and family members, and the pandemic only exacerbated that. I'm proud of what Boise Schools [have] done so far, but there's much more progress to be made.”
With that remarkably mature insight, Rajbhandari entered the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill late last year, with a focus on public policy. Young people almost inevitably enter higher education with lofty idealism and fierce convictions, but the first-year student already had the school board upset — proof that seemingly impossible ambitions can indeed be realized — as an ace in the hole.
“The most rewarding thing about fighting for justice is that you get to be a part of a community bound not by money or background but by solidarity and love,” Rajbhandari said.
"There's much more progress to be made in the area of mental health."