A Saint John woman is bringing her education experience to the Anglophone South District Education Council (DEC).

Ginny Hooper was sworn in as the new representative for subdistrict 4 during Wednesday night’s DEC meeting.

She will represent five schools in west Saint John: Barnhill Memorial, Beaconsfield Middle, Island View, Seaside Park Elementary, and St. Rose.

“I think I can bring a perspective having worked in the trenches, but also having helped the at-risk students and the students that struggled for whatever reason and be a voice for them,” Hooper said in an interview following the meeting.

Hooper recently retired from the school district, where she spent two decades working as an educational assistant in elementary, middle and high schools.

She has also taught adult education at the Saint John Learning Exchange uptown for the past 22 years.

“The students that I work with are students that didn’t get their high school diploma so now they need a second chance,” said Hooper.

“I thought this might be a really good opportunity for me to advocate for the students that weren’t as successful in our school system to help future students be as successful as possible.”

Hooper said she hopes her perspective can help reduce the number of students who drop out of school.