LEONARDTOWN, MD – St. Mary's Association of Student Councils (SMASC) recently held elections for the Student Member of the St. Mary's County Public Schools (SMCPS) Board of Education position. Hannah Heisler was elected. She is an eleventh-grade student at Leonardtown High School (LHS) and is enrolled in the Academy of Global and International Studies. Hannah will replace the current Student Member of the Board, Lillian Kibler, from LHS on July 1, 2024.
Hannah has held multiple student leadership positions. For instance, she is the current President of both SMASC and LHS's Student Government Association (SGA). Hannah is also the Secretary of the National Honor Society and the Fundraising Director of the Principal's Student Leadership Council. Mr. James Copsey, III, the principal of Leonardtown High School, stated, “Hannah has achieved remarkable academic success and has shown exceptional leadership and a strong work ethic." Mr. Copsey continued to express that Hannah's "commitment to student advocacy makes her an outstanding candidate" and "enables her to provide an informed perspective on school business coming before the Board.” Additionally, Mr. Brian Brynes, the LHS Social Studies Department Chair and Advisor to LHS SGA stated Hannah has "demonstrated masterful communication skills" to keep all stakeholders informed and empower participants in the decision-making process.
When Hannah assumes this elected leadership position, her focus will be amplifying student voices and working with the Board of Education members to ensure students have a say in the decision-making process. This will entail staying informed on state and local education-related matters and collaborating with multiple partners vested in the SMCPS community. Another focal point is addressing the complexities of implementing the Blueprint and ensuring SMCPS is taking proactive steps to address teacher retention in the school system.
Hannah 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, Hannah will share information on various educational concerns with students and the community. This student leadership position also includes actively 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. 32128, or by email at ktwright@smcps.org.
