Meet Jomar Rushdan

​I am running for the Central Unified School District Board because education changed the direction of my life, and I want every child in our district to have that same opportunity.

I grew up in Richmond, California, in a community that faced real hardship—but also showed me the power of resilience. As a teenager, my mother and I lost our housing and spent time in a shelter. Everything we owned fit into two trash bags. At a time when we had nowhere to go, someone stepped forward and offered us a spare bedroom so my mother and I would not have to sleep in our car.

That experience shaped how I see opportunity. A child’s future should not be determined by the circumstances they are born into, the challenges their family faces, or the neighborhood they call home and sometimes, changing the course of a child’s life starts with one person being willing to step forward and open a door.

I know firsthand what education and opportunity can make possible. That is why I am running: to help ensure every Central Unified student has access to the support, resources, and quality education they need to reach their full potential.