Success Behind the Scenes

Irving ISD Student Influencer Peter Ivanov shares a reflection of his experience behind the scenes at the Irving ISD State of the District. Read more below.

Hello! My name is Peter Ivanov, and I’m an 11th grader at MacArthur High School. I was lucky enough to take part in the 2024 Irving ISD State of the District as one of the district’s Student Influencers. The annual Irving ISD State of the District is an opportunity for leaders of the community to come together to learn about the initiatives and progress of the district towards improving educational outcomes for students across Irving ISD. A series of stories were shared from students of various grade levels, ethnicities and backgrounds. The theme for this year’s event was ‘Success Is’, highlighting the diversity and abundance of opportunities within Irving ISD.

This year’s cohort of Student Influencers were given the chance to assist with State of the District. While my peers were assigned various roles including usher, emcee, content creator and production assistant, I was lucky enough to help behind the scenes as a stage assistant. Upon arrival at the Irving Convention Center, the event venue, I was greeted by the entire Irving ISD Marketing and Communications Department. After introducing myself to Mr. Cesar Pineda and Mr. Bernardo Frias, the gentlemen I would be working with, it was time to prepare for the event. My main duties included ushering the emcee, fellow Influencer MaKenna Hearne, and Superintendent Magda Hernandez onto the stage, helping ensure that the stage was set with the proper furniture and ensuring the speakers of the event were accounted for and in their appropriate positions for each segment. The most rewarding aspect of being a stage assistant was witnessing the fruits of the Irving ISD staff’s efforts into making the attendees’ experience worthwhile.

Hosting this event to many of the community members can be a stressful task, but the entire Marketing and Communications Department handled it professionally, while being supportive of every student that was involved. Because so many students were present to speak or help with the event, it was wonderful to connect with many students I would have never been able to meet otherwise.

Having some free time to explore the venue before the event began, the Student Influencers and I were able to enjoy the eye-boggling photo opp and the decor set throughout the ballroom. When the program took a break for lunch, it was amazing to see all the Irving High hospitality students scattered throughout the ballroom serving guests their meals. It was also nice to see everyone at their individual tables engage with each other, no matter how old they were or what organization they were a part of.

Finally, as a high school student reflecting on the opportunity I was given, I can proudly say that I learned a lot of lessons – cooperation and teamwork is necessary for success, and making an event meaningful can only be done with a positive attitude. In the future, I hope I am in a position to inspire young students and give them the same opportunities that Irving ISD offered to elementary, middle and high school students at this year’s State of the District.