Sara Hamdaoui, a rising senior at Crofton High School, will be sworn in as the 53rd Student Member of the Board of Education of Anne Arundel County (SMOB) during a ceremony at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in the Board Room at the Carol S. Parham Building, located at 2644 Riva Road in Annapolis.
Hamdaoui, who will be the second SMOB from Crofton High School, will succeed Brayden Morgan, a Glen Burnie High School graduate whose term ends on June 30, 2026. During her one-year term, she plans to strengthen student voice through improved communication and expanded opportunities for input in decision-making. She also wants to emphasize giving students the tools and skills to advocate for themselves and understand Board actions and to prioritize a supportive school environment through mental health resources, wellness education, and consistent policy implementation.
Hamdaoui has been a member of the countywide Superintendent’s Teen Advisory Council and Crofton High School’s Principal Advisory Council. She has been president of Crofton’s French Honor Society and a member of the school’s Key Club and National Honor Society chapter. She also served on the Executive Board of the school’s Student Government Association and has been an active member in CRASC and the Maryland Association of Student Councils.
Since June, Hamdaoui has also served as a team co-lead for Work2BeWell, a nationwide organization dedicated to improving access to mental health tools and resources. She has also co-chaired the Communications Committee for the school district’s Student Service Leadership group, which works to inform students of service and volunteer opportunities.
Students have held a seat on the Board of Education since 1974, when Andover High School’s Jeffrey Robinson served in an advisory capacity. Anne Arundel’s student member has had full voting rights since 1975 and is the only member of a local school board in the nation to have that status.
Hamdaoui’s older sister, Hafsa, was the SMOB in the 2024-2025 school year. For more information about the Student Member of the Board, including a list of all SMOBs, visit the SMOB page at www.aacps.org/smob.
The ceremony will be broadcast live on AACPS’ YouTube channel and on AACPS-TV.