Education  

Northwood High sophomore voted next Student Member of the Board

Leul Dawit, a sophomore at Northwood High School, is the next Student Member of the Board (SMOB) of Education for Montgomery County Public Schools.

Dawit defeated Reemey Ghermay, a junior at Walter Johnson High School, during Wednesday’s election.

All secondary students were eligible to vote in the SMOB election, and 58,424 students cast ballots, according to MCPS. Dawit received 64% of the vote. Ghermay received 36%. 

On July 1, Dawit will become the 49th SMOB.

During his campaign, Dawit posted, “Since my fourth-grade teacher first introduced the idea of running for my elementary school’s SGA Vice President in 2019, advocacy has been a constant in my life. Whether it was lobbying in Annapolis before the Maryland General Assembly or simply amplifying the work of my peers, I’ve spent the better half of the past six years pushing for reform, change, and evolution in my community.”

After learning he had won, Dawit posted on Instagram, “For my voters, students, and supporters, this is just the beginning of a renaissance in MCPS.”

Dawit serves as a Field Organization Deputy for MoCo for Change, a certified workshop presenter for the Maryland Association of Student Councils and Environmental Education Deputy for Eco MoCo. He also serves as a Student F.A.I.R. Student Leadership Coordinator and a Historian for the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association.

The SMOB is a voting member of the Montgomery County Board of Education and can vote on matters related to collective bargaining, capital and operating budgets, school closings and reopenings and boundaries, but not on negative personnel actions.

Dawit will not be paid but will receive a $25,000 college scholarship, Student Service Learning hours and one honors-level social studies credit, according to MCPS.

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