Samantha Arredondo

Samantha Arredondo is a proud fourth-generation Kansan raising fifth-generation Kansans. She’s a mom, wife, HR recruiter, and community advocate, someone who believes that showing up and doing the work, especially for kids, is what ties a community together.

“Community really does take all of us,” she said. “And we are stronger together.”

In Eudora, she’s often recognized as Julian and Evelyn’s mom. But ask anyone who’s worked alongside her, and they’ll tell you she’s also the person who puts in the time, who follows through, and who shows that care is more than a feeling.

Rooted in Public Schools

Samantha’s relationship with public education runs deep. She grew up in Council Grove, a small rural town in Morris County, and attended public schools her entire life. Her trust in the system was strong, shaped by positive experiences and a sense that public education was something to be proud of.

Her family shares that value. Her sister and brother-in-law are educators, as are her uncles and cousins. So when it came time to enroll her own children in school, there was no question: public school was the only choice that made sense.

But being a parent brought a different perspective. Seeing the joys, the challenges, the daily realities, brought everything full circle. What once felt like a given started to feel more fragile. In March 2020, Samantha was appointed to the Eudora School Board — a responsibility she accepted without hesitation.

Then the pandemic hit.

Stepping Into Leadership

Samantha served on the Eudora School Board from March 2020 through December 2021 at a time of deep uncertainty and high stakes for schools across the country. Especially given the uncertainty of the COVID era, she was heartened to find a community that cared about students, teachers, and one another.

“I got to see just how many good, generous people are giving their time and energy to keep our schools strong,” she said. “It really reinforced what an amazing community we have here.”

She wishes every child in Kansas had that kind of support. But she also knows that’s not the reality for many children, and that the stability of any district is deeply connected to something most parents rarely see: funding.

Peeling Back the Layers

Serving on the board gave Samantha new insight into the complexities of education policy, especially school finance. “It was like peeling back an onion,” she said. “You think you know how it works until you’re in the room where the decisions are made.”

She learned how funding shortfalls, particularly in special education, ripple out into every part of the public school system. How salary limitations impact teacher retention. How the decisions made in Topeka shape the daily realities of teachers and students back home.

“If the state fully funded special education like it’s supposed to, we’d have more flexibility to support teachers and students,” she said. “These choices matter. How we vote, how we budget, it’s all connected.”

And while board meetings might not seem exciting to most, Samantha wants people to know that they matter. “If you’re a taxpayer, you should understand what’s happening in your schools,” she said. “Go to a meeting. Read the notes. These are public decisions made in public spaces and they impact all of us.”

Leading With Empathy

When people ask what she learned from her time on the board, Samantha would point to something less tangible than numbers or policies: empathy.

“No one ever asks how being in the room changed me as a human,” she said. “But it did. It made me so much more empathetic. These kids come into our classrooms with so many vulnerabilities. We owe it to them to care, to do more.”

As a member of the Eudora Schools Foundation board, she continues to see the daily needs that go beyond textbooks and test scores. Some students don’t have access to basic necessities. Others are navigating trauma. And yet, they show up to learn and grow. So the adults in the room, “the needle-movers,” as she calls them, have to show up too.

“It’s our job to care,” she said. “We’re the ones making decisions. And that comes with responsibility.”

No Manual, Just Willpower

If Samantha sounds like someone with a plan, she wants you to know she didn’t start out that way. Like many parents and advocates, she stepped up because she saw a need. She figured it out along the way and believes others can too.

“There are good people standing up and being present in these rooms,” she said. “And we can’t assume someone else will do it. If I can do this, so can you. I didn’t have a manual. I just got involved.”

She wants people to feel hope and ownership in state and local schools decisions. To know that their voices matter and that the systems shaping their children’s lives are not out of reach.

A Future Worth Building

When Samantha pictures the future, she gives the wonderful example of her daughter: confident, curious, and unafraid to take up space.

“I want her to know she deserves to be in the room where decisions are made,” she said. “That her voice matters. And that she can speak up not just for herself, but for the next generation.”

What keeps Samantha going is the love for her community, a deep respect for public education, and the belief that stronger schools make stronger communities. Not just for her kids, but for everyone.

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