Petition for Change

By Jennifer Fogarty, communications content manager
Navid Massarat ’19 is proposing a dog beach in La Jolla Shores. It all started with taking his dog for a walk, a typical chore for dog owners. Navid’s dog, Lexus, a very energetic Vizsla, loves to swim and play on the beach, which serves as an effective energy release. The problem is that there aren’t any dog beaches in La Jolla. With some help from his advisor, Upper School history teacher Jonathan Shulman, Navid is determined to make a change.

The idea of creating a petition on change.org came about as a way to gauge the interest of fellow La Jollans, and Mr. Shulman recommended Navid get in contact with local journalist Ashley Mackin-Solomon at the La Jolla Light. Mackin-Solomon promoted his journey with a story in the paper while also providing information about a similar petition in the past and the types of counter-arguments or fears locals have voiced that eventually led to that petition’s failing.

“Sometimes it scares me just how quickly it’s becoming a big deal,” says Navid. “But I would say that as a lifer at LJCDS, all my schooling leading up to this has been teaching me to decipher what’s right and what’s wrong and to question and challenge the way things are, especially if they can be improved. And now my high school experience has taught me to apply this knowledge and go the extra mile to actually do something with what I learned.”
 
Being a member of the LJCDS Mock Trial team has exposed Navid to the field of law and how that plays a role in his efforts to be a changemaker. His interests are in politics, law and business, and this experience is giving him an inside look at how they all work together and will help him choose what to pursue once he goes to college.

“I want to make a change in our community, and I see this going as far as it needs to to make it a reality. I’ll be honest, I have no idea what I’m doing. But I’m going along for the ride, and I’m hoping people will be open and forthcoming in sharing their opinions and their feelings because, without change, nothing ever gets better.”

Navid’s next steps are to hold an open forum to bring people together to discuss the pros and cons and to field counter-arguments. After reaching a solution with the community, he will then work with a lawyer to draft a legal document that will be presented to the La Jolla Parks and Beaches Committee, La Jolla Town Council and San Diego City Council. The forum will be held on Saturday, October 28 from 12–2 p.m. in the Community Hall on the LJCDS campus.
 

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