Portland Adventist Academy (PAA) had a different kind of student walk through the halls recently. Donning jeans, a T-shirt and a backpack, Andre Wang, PAA's new school board chair, visited several classrooms to meet students and show his support of the faculty and staff.

At an English as a Second Language (ESL) prep class, students eagerly asked Wang, a lawyer, questions concerning immigration and college. "The students felt very comfortable sitting with him, [and] they even asked if he was coming back," said Kristina Knight, ESL teacher.

At Mark Patchin’s history class, Wang asked students if he could help with their projects. “It was good to see our board chairman actively involved in what is going on in the school," Patchin said.

"He just came and sat at our table and asked if he could help with our assignment," said Zach Shelton, a PAA student. "He wasn’t dressed in a suit. He was dressed like us.”

“It added a whole new dimension to what PAA was all about,” explained Wang, who says he recommends other board members try this too.