A Wizard’s Path: Lila Sinacori and Giovanni Berchielli

A Wizard’s Path is a new series from the Washingtonville Central School District that shares the stories of students making their mark. Each feature celebrates the hard work, dedication and spirit that help shape the Wizard community.

Student representatives return to the Board of Education 

The Washingtonville Central School District has again selected two student representatives to be a part of the Board of Education. The students will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with board trustees to advocate for all students across the district. Lila Sinacori will return as the newly appointed senior representative, and Giovanni Berchielli has been selected as the junior representative for the 2025 - 2026  school year.

“Our student representatives play a vital role in bringing the student voice to the Board of Education and district administration,” said Superintendent Dr. Larry Washington. “They provide student perspective and insights that are crucial for ensuring that student experiences in Washingtonville exceed expectations.”  

Lila Sinacori

As Lila, a senior, begins her final year of high school, she has already made a lasting mark on the Wizards community through her impressive academic achievements, strong leadership and devotion to service.

Balancing a schedule that includes AP Physics, Calculus BC, several college-level classes and  varsity sports, she also serves as class president and leads the Science Honor Society, in addition to representing her peers on the district’s Board of Education, among other roles.

Last year, Lila helped break new ground alongside senior Kayla Jackson as one of the district’s first-ever student representatives. Together, they connected with student councils across the schools and brought those voices into board discussions.

“I want to thank Kayla for helping me so much last year while I was figuring everything out, and Ms. Amabile and Mr. Shust for getting us involved and really showing us the way.”  To read more about Kayla and Lila's initiatives as the first student representative, click here! 

Now stepping into the role’s senior lead, Lila is eager to continue building momentum with junior representative Giovanni. They are already exploring ideas, including the formation of a lunch committee to help enhance the high school dining experience.  

“Honestly, I really just love knowing everyone on the board because they're all so kind and dedicated,” Lila explained. “This experience has helped me grow and boosted my confidence, even when it comes to public speaking and giving presentations in class. I’ve noticed the benefits of it in every area of my life.”

Looking ahead, Lila is eager to continue representing her peers on the board of education, strengthening connections across the district and making the most of her senior year. 

Giovanni Berchielli

Entering the role of junior representative, Giovanni plans to handle conflict as it comes. There have been lots of changes to the high school this year, such as the new schedule blocks (ABCD days as opposed to blue and gold days) and the state’s new personal device use policy.

“Right now, I'm trying to keep it more of a blank slate,” he explained. “I’ve gotten some ideas from other students that I might bring up in the future. But for now, it's just dealing with things that need to be fixed.”

In their meeting with Dr. Washington last week, the group went over what the position will entail, expectations and ways they can work to benefit the community.

“We talked about some stuff very briefly, and I'm sure we'll go into more detail later about some ways we can help the community or change some stuff that's going on in the school,” Giovanni said about the meeting.

Looking ahead into the future, Giovanni is considering going to college for either music or political science. He has a passion for both, hoping to student compose this year with the high school band and land an internship with the Orange County Government Center. He also keeps busy with a demanding course load, including AP Environmental Science and college-level U.S. History.

Outside of academics, Giovanni is heavily involved with the Blooming Grove Post, a student-run newspaper outlet he co-founded last year. Additionally, he is the captain of the tennis team and participates in NYSSMA playing the horn, where he recently made All-State! 

During the Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Lila and Giovanni gave their first student representative report, where they shared updates on athletics and initiatives for the year as student representatives.