Eight high school students from across Anne Arundel County have been nominated to be the 2026-27 Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB).
The nominees to become the 53rd SMOB, in alphabetical order, are:
Stella Chen, Severn Run High School
Lucy Davis, Severna Park High School
Sarah Elfernani, Meade High School
Sara Hamdaoui, Crofton High School
Jordyn Harmel, Southern High School
Bennett Kobrin, Chesapeake High School
Olivia Takash, Broadneck High School
Lucie Yeager, South River High School
The Chesapeake Regional Association of Student Councils (CRASC) oversees the annual nomination and election process.
Each high school was permitted to submit one nominee for consideration. All nominees are students in good academic standing and completed a comprehensive application that included essays and letters of recommendation. Candidates will participate in a panel interview on Monday, February 2, 2026, after which the field will be narrowed to five semifinalists.
To allow for more student engagement, the five semifinalists will take part in a Student Member of the Board nominating convention on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. After the convention, the field will be reduced to three finalists.
The finalists will advance to an election to be held on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Prior to that election, finalists will take part in town halls, a SMOB candidate debate, and an Instagram Live event to share their platforms with the wider student body.
The candidate elected by CRASC will have their name forwarded to Governor Wes Moore, who makes the official appointment. The student will succeed Brayden Morgan of Glen Burnie High School, whose one-year term ends on June 30, 2026.
Anne Arundel County’s Student Member of the Board of Education serves as a full voting member of the Board, representing student voice in district-level decision-making. Anne Arundel County Public Schools is the only school district in the nation to grant its student member full voting rights on a local Board of Education.
Students have served on the Board since Jeffrey Robinson of Andover High School held an advisory seat during the 1974–1975 school year. Anthony Arend of Arundel High School became the first student member with full voting rights the following year.
More information about the Student Member of the Board can be found here.