Shenwei Zhao Has the Knowledge, Experience to Serve on the BOE
To the Editor:
We are writing to express our strong support for Shenwei Zhao’s candidacy for the Board of Education (BOE) this November. We have known Shenwei since 2003, when we attended the same graduate school in Ohio. At that time, he had just left his job in Washington D.C. to pursue a Ph.D. in the Department of Communications. From the moment Shenwei arrived on campus, he started to help others. As one of the few international students from China who have previously worked in the United States, he helped many students settle in. We still vividly remember him driving his 1990 blue Camry, towing the smallest U-Haul trailer he could find, and helping new students move in.
Shenwei worked as a teaching assistant in his department and later secured a research assistant position at Rutgers University. We lost touch for a while, but around 2011, a mutual friend helped reconnect us, as by then, we had all settled in New Jersey. At that time, we lived in a different town but were thinking about moving as our children grew older. Shenwei and his wife encouraged us to relocate to Princeton on the first day of 2017 due to its excellent educational resources. Seven years later, our daughter graduated from Princeton High School (PHS) and is now in college, while our son is a junior at PHS.
Over the years, we have seen Shenwei actively engage in public discussions about school district and town affairs, all while managing his demanding work and family life. He has frequently shared important updates on district and town issues with us and sought our opinions. As first-generation and busy parents ourselves, we continue to admire his passion for helping others and his dedication to community concerns.
In recent years, Shenwei has become increasingly involved in matters affecting our public schools, such as changes to the math curriculum and the dismissal of the PHS principal. Despite his own child not yet being in the PPS system, Shenwei is deeply committed to ensuring our public schools operate smoothly and provide a healthy, supportive environment for all students. In our conversations, he has expressed concerns that certain Board decisions have caused unnecessary disruptions in the district and undermined public trust in the School Board.
Shenwei’ s decision to run for a BOE seat this year was initially surprising, but upon reflection, we believe he is exceptionally prepared to serve our community. He has a solid understanding of local issues and the right mindset to represent many of us. We hope more people in the community will get to know him and reach the same conclusion we have. Princeton is a very diverse town, and we do hope that Shenwei’ s efforts will bring fresh perspectives to the BOE, helping to ensure the district’s policies meaningfully reflect that diversity.