Bel Air High School junior Ben Barsam was elected to the position of Student Member on the Board of Education toady during the HCRASC General Assembly, which was hosted by Bel Air High School. The general assembly was held in the auditorium today, and was attended by members of student government’s from high schools and middle schools across Harford County. Ben is now the Student Member on the Board (or SMOB) Elect, and will officially be sworn in at the Board of Education meeting in July.
“This whole thing is still a little surreal,” Ben said. “I haven’t really wrapped my head around it yet, forty thousand students is a lot of people and to think that I’ll be representing them all is a huge responsibility.”
The application process was a rigorous one, as applicants had to turn in letters of recommendation from a teacher, the principal of their school, their parent and a fellow student, along with an essay and résumé. The Student Member on the Board is an even more important position now than it has been in years past, thanks to Bel Air High alumnus Christina McIntyre, who passed legislation last year that earned the SMOB partial voting rights.
“This is going to be an extremely labor intensive position,” Ben said. “I’m going to have to spend countless hours researching and gauging student opinions, but this will be the most rewarding position I’ve ever held.”
Ben will spend the next seven months attending various Board of Education events, like public forums and board meetings, while shadowing the current SMOB, Panashe Mutombo, a Patterson Mill High School senior.
“My role will really be to educate Ben on how to proceed with this position and how to conduct himself in this new environment.” Panashe said. “I really hope he learns from this experience as a whole and gains a new appreciation for this county the way I have.”
“I’m thrilled for Ben,” said Mr. Roth, Bel Air High’s Student Government advisor. “I’m proud of how far our student government has come in the past few years and I’m happy for our school as a whole.”