Meet the Student Board Member

Manasa Iswara, a senior at Leonardtown High School, was elected the Student Member of the St. Mary’s County Public Schools Board of Education for the 2022-2023 School Year. Manasa served the 2021-2022 school year as the St. Mary’s Association of Student Councils Treasurer and she is an avid participant of the Maryland Association of Student Councils. She is active in her school’s Student Government Association, National Honor Society, and Spanish Honor Society. Her senior year will be her fourth year playing Varsity Tennis for Leonardtown High School. Manasa recognizes the importance of fighting for causes she believes in and speaking up for herself and others, especially as a student leader. She has worked with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), an organization working to cure blood cancers, for the past four years and has led Team Fly4ACure to win the title of LLS Maryland Students of the Year in 2021 with her co-candidate. She hopes to ingrain the idea in her fellow students that her seat on the Board of Education is for all of their voices to be heard. She is committed to using her position as the SMCPS Student Member of the Board of Education to represent students of diverse experiences and interests. Manasa is focused on highlighting and expanding on the mental health resources that SMCPS has available for staff and students, as well as increasing active student involvement in student government and leadership programs and positions.

 

 

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Dr. J. Scott Smith, Superintendent of Schools, 301-475-5511, ext. 32178

Dr. Maureen Montgomery, Deputy Superintendent of Schools, 301-475-5511, ext. 32135

LEONARDTOWN, MD – St. Mary’s Association of Student Councils (SMASC) held elections for the Student Member of the Board of Education of St. Mary’s County (SMOB) position, and Manasa Iswara was elected. Manasa is a current 11th-grade student at Leonardtown High School. She will replace the current Student Member of the Board, Judy Nguyen, from Leonardtown High School.  Manasa also recognizes the value of civic engagement. For example, she led Team Fly4ACure, which raised donation funds and awareness to assist the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in support of blood cancer research, patients/survivors, and their families.  Furthermore, Manasa is an active member of the Teen Court Program. Through this program, Manasa acknowledges the importance of empowering youth by equipping them with the skills to make sound decisions.    

When Manasa assumes this elected leadership position on July 1, 2022, her efforts will center on mental health and continue to proactively ensure all students’ voices are heard. Manasa’s efforts hinge on collaborating with the Superintendent’s Student Leadership Advisory Committee and working with elected student representatives from each school’s student council to express their viewpoints regarding its policies. According to Manasa, these efforts reinforce the importance of establishing an open dialogue with multiple stakeholders and valuing all perspectives. She added that this collective approach involving an array of community members will help build a more inclusive and engaging learning environment within the school system. 

Manasa will become an official member of the Board of Education and provide an informed student viewpoint to the Board. While serving as the Student Member of the Board, Manasa will be sharing information with students and the community on an array of educational concerns. This student leadership position also includes participating in student-related and school-related activities.

For more information, contact Mr. Kevin T. Wright, Supervisor of Instruction for Social Studies, by telephone at 301-475-5511, ext.