A Northwood High School student will represent Montgomery County students at the highest level of local education leadership next year. Leul Dawit, a 10th grade student, has been elected as the Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) for the 2026-2027 school year. His term will begin on July 1.
More than 58,000 secondary students participated in the election, with 58,424 ballots cast. Dawit received 64 percent of the vote, defeating Reemey Ghermay, a junior at Walter Johnson High School, who received 36 percent. The election was held on April 22 through an electronic ballot sent to students’ MCPS email accounts, with schools encouraging participation through classroom lessons.
Dawit is actively involved in several student-led and countywide organizations. He currently serves as a Field Organization Deputy for MoCo for Change, a certified workshop presenter for the Maryland Association of Student Councils, and Environmental Education Deputy for Eco MoCo. He is also a Student F.A.I.R. Student Leadership Coordinator and historian for the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association.
As SMOB, Dawit will serve as a voting member of the Montgomery County Board of Education. The role includes voting authority on issues such as the school system’s operating and capital budgets, collective bargaining agreements, and school boundary decisions. The position does not include voting on negative personnel matters.
While the role is unpaid, the SMOB receives a $25,000 college scholarship, Student Service Learning hours, and one honors-level social studies credit. Dawit will succeed current SMOB Anuva Maloo, a senior at Montgomery Blair High School, who is set to graduate in June. Dawit will be the 49th student to serve in the role.
