First published in the Oct. 6 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
I am writing to support Octavia Thuss for La Cañada Unified School Board. I have known Octavia for almost a decade, starting when our sons were in TK together, and have gotten to know her more since that time. She is a compassionate listener, fierce advocate and extremely knowledgeable about LCUSD.
Above everything, Octavia is a selfless person who is running for school board to help students and our community. She makes time to listen to different viewpoints and seriously weighs all perspectives and facts before making decisions. She has volunteered countless hours to our community without seeking recognition. Her dedication to serve is not motivated by ego, but by her love of education and in helping children. I cannot think of a better person to serve on the La Cañada School Board.
I hope others will see her commitment to our community and vote for Octavia Thuss on election day.
Dennis Huang
La Cañada Flintridge
Octavia Thuss was one of the first people I met after moving to La Cañada. She was welcoming and engaging. Since then, I have learned about her attributes and I believe La Cañada would be lucky to have her serve on our school board. I was excited to learn she was running. The last few years have shed light on the value of having a strong and qualified team on the school board. Our current board has had to function through some incredibly tough times and overall, managed impressively well. I don’t expect them to always agree, and because of that, certain attributes are critical:
Respect — I have watched Octavia speak with others and express her opinion in a way that focuses on the issue and not the person.
Listen — Part of her strength in listening is knowing what questions need to be asked. Octavia displays enthusiasm for growing and expanding her knowledge. As such, she does something we all benefit from when we take the time to do it. She listens, she reads and she watches. She gathers what information she can so when she makes a decision it is informed by her research.
Understand the stakeholder’s needs — Octavia continues to have her own kids in our school district. As such, she is connected to its needs as a parent through the eyes of her kids, but she is also connected as a substitute teacher and by volunteer efforts at the district, giving her a unique opportunity to look at our school districts needs through multiple lenses.
We need Octavia!
Karen Thurston
La Cañada Flintridge
