Dr. Avanti Bergquist

I am honored to serve on the Renton School Board and am excited to run for re-election to Position #2. I am a proud graduate of the Renton School District and have two wonderful children currently attend school in our district.

Born and Raised in the RSD

With the exception of being away for higher education, I have lived in the Renton School District my whole life!

Renton School District Graduate

Attended Highlands and Kennydale Elementary, McKnight Middle, and graduated from Hazen High School.

Renton School District Family

My husband and I graduated together from the Renton School District. And now our two children attend school in our district!

Renton Schools prepared me for educational success

I went on to graduate from Duke University, earn a master’s degree, and a doctorate of medicine, then completed a Psychiatry residency and a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at the University of Washington.

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Serving Through My Career

As a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center, and formerly as a faculty at the University of Washington, I have long been committed to advocating for children in our community regionally, state-wide, and nationally.

Serving the Renton Community

I am so proud to live in the Renton School District and serve our students, families, and community on the Renton School District Board of Directors, Position #2. 

Avanti’s Priorities for the Renton School District

Mental, Social, and Emotional Health: As a physician specializing in children’s mental health, and even more so in the midst of this pandemic, the mental, social, and emotional wellbeing of our students and staff is a leading priority. Without this foundation we cannot expect our other educational interventions to be successful. It has been a privilege to work with our school district to continuously improve our processes for student and staff wellbeing. 

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: As a person of color who grew up in this district, and a parent of children of color in the school district, I am acutely aware of our need to constantly work to improve our JEDI approach. There remains much to learn and much to do. This is, again, foundational work that needs to be done in order for any other educational interventions to be successful.

Avanti Bergquist for Renton School District Board of Directors | PO Box 2050, Renton, WA 98056 | avantibergquist@gmail.com