Fourth grader Hemachandra Mulugu of Diamond Elementary School has been named the City of Gaithersburg’s new Junior Mayor following a citywide essay contest centered around the theme “Where Tradition Meets Innovation.”
Hemachandra was officially sworn in by Mayor Jud Ashman during the May 4 Mayor and City Council meeting. The annual program invites Gaithersburg fourth graders to submit essays describing what they would do if they were Mayor, with finalists later participating in panel interviews.
In his winning essay, Hemachandra focused on preserving nature while helping families create meaningful memories throughout the community. His idea proposed planting commemorative trees along City trails to mark important life milestones such as welcoming a new baby, starting kindergarten, or retiring after years of work.
“Every time a family in our community welcomes a baby, a child starts kindergarten, or even every time someone retires from years of hard work in our community, they get a chance to plant a tree in our City trail,” Hemachandra wrote in his essay. “Each plant alongside a trail would have the family’s name signed, so that every time a family walks the trail, they remember old memories.” His essay was submitted by his fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Wendy Stewart.
As Junior Mayor, Hemachandra will participate in a variety of public events and ceremonies throughout the year alongside the Mayor and City Council. His first official appearance is scheduled for the Gaithersburg Book Festival on May 16. He will also lead the Pledge of Allegiance during the City’s Memorial Day Observance on May 30.
Later in his term, Hemachandra will also organize a community service project at his school with participation from City leaders.
