Salute to Youth and Their Activism

Written by admin on July 2nd, 2010

On Thursday evening, I was honored to be part of the recognition celebration for the incoming and outgoing student members of the Montgomery County Board of Education. Tim Hwang, a recent graduate from Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, just completed his one-year term, serving on the school board’s policy and public engagement committees. Tim was also President of Wootton’s  Class of 2010 and has held several leadership positions in the Maryland Association of Student Councils. No slouch with his time and energy, Tim also serves as CEO/President of Operation Fly, Inc., an international non-profit that he founded to fight inner-city poverty and homelessness.

Alan Xie, a rising junior in the International Baccalaureate Program at  Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, was sworn in as the 2010-2011 student member of the Board of Education. Alan has served in leadership positions on the Maryland Youth Advisory Council and the Maryland Association of Student Councils. He was elected to the student seat by a 3-to-1 margin after a campaign that emphasized the value of students’ concerns, ideas and dreams.

Alan will be the first student member empowered to vote on all measures that come before the school board, except teacher dismissals. This added responsibility is the result of 2010 General Assembly approval of a measure which I strongly supported.

These two young men and their counterparts who are active  in Montgomery County Youth Slate exemplify the real capabilities and maturity of so many of our terrific students. It’s reassuring to know that our future will be in such focused, informed and compassionate hands.