Stacy Pellegrin spent 23 years as a math teacher and school-based coach for her colleagues. Then she found her true calling in student leadership.
Since becoming Anne Arundel County Public Schools’ Manager of Student Leadership in 2017, Pellegrin has had an enormous impact on cultivating and empowering student voice and engagement. That impact has now been recognized on the state level, with Pellegrin being named the 2026 Maryland State Regional Advisor of the Year.
“It has been the greatest honor and truly the highlight of my 32-year career in AACPS,” Pellegrin said after being surprised with the award at the Maryland Association of Student Councils’ annual convention. “Our student leaders embody everything that is powerful, inspiring, and full of promise for the future.”
Pellegrin works with students who are involved in the Chesapeake Regional Association of Student Councils, the representative organization of all students enrolled in AACPS secondary schools. CRASC was created to develop leadership skills, promote good sportsmanship, and initiate improvements and activities for the general good of AACPS students. State law recognizes the organization as the governing body that annually selects the Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB). In addition, CRASC provides the student perspective with regular reports at Board of Education meetings and other venues.
“Ms. Pellegrin is truly the reason and my inspiration in still getting involved with student council,” CRASC President Michelle Fadele, a senior at Chesapeake High School, wrote in her nomination letter. “There have just been so many different things that have happened, and if she wasn’t there, I do not know where I would be… She has been there through thick and thin, rain or shine, good times and bad. I say it again and again, Ms. Pellegrin is a blessing from above.”
The award has been given annually since 2018 to recognize regional student council advisors who provide student leadership training while helping students in addressing issues at the local levels. It is given in honor of Karen L. Crawford, a longtime student leadership advisor in Mongtomery County Public Schools who has also served at the state level with the Maryland Association of Student Councils.
“Ms. Pellegrin’s work reflects an unwavering commitment to empowering students, developing their leadership skills, and providing authentic opportunities for civic engagement,” said Chief Officer for Student and Systemic Supports Monique Jackson, who oversees the Office of Student Leadership. “She lives the AACPS Strategic Plan – Belong, Grow, Succeed – by creating pathways for students from diverse backgrounds to step into leadership roles with confidence and purpose. Her influence ensures that all students, regardless of identity or school community, feel included and valued in the leadership landscape.”
In addition to her work with CRASC, Pellegrin is also integrally involved in helping to facilitate the work of the Superintendent’s Teen Advisory and school-based student government associations. She is also involved in systemwide wellness and other student support initiatives.
“What truly sets Stacy Pellegrin apart is her core belief that every student deserves the opportunity to lead and be heard,” Kieran O’Connor, the Student Council Advisor at Wiley H. Bates Middle School, wrote in a nomination letter. “She intentionally creates spaces where diverse perspectives are valued and where students learn that leadership is rooted in service and integrity.”
