The Montgomery County Board of Education officially installed Leul Dawit, a rising junior at Northwood High School, as its 49th Student Member of the Board (SMOB) during its meeting on Monday, July 6.
Dawit will serve as the student representative on the Board for the 2026-2027 school year, representing the voices of more than 155,000 MCPS students.
Unlike student representatives in many school systems, Montgomery County’s Student Member of the Board serves as a voting member. Dawit will be able to vote on major issues including collective bargaining agreements, capital and operating budgets, school closings and reopenings, and school boundary changes. By law, the position is only prohibited from voting on negative personnel actions.
“Student engagement is essential to building a stronger educational system,” Dawit said. “I am dedicated to fostering meaningful connections with students throughout Montgomery County, ensuring their voices remain central to Board deliberations and policy decisions.” His platform focuses on four priorities:
- Amplifying student voice by strengthening communication between students and decision-makers.
- Improving school facilities, infrastructure, and student services.
- Expanding student mental health and well-being initiatives.
- Promoting equitable access to educational opportunities across the county.
Before being elected, Dawit served on the SMOB Advisory Council as Historian and Boundary Studies Deputy, was Historian for the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association, and became a certified workshop presenter for the Maryland Association of Student Councils. He has also testified before both the Montgomery County Board of Education and the Maryland General Assembly.
Outside of school government, Dawit has been involved with organizations including Eco MoCo, Student FAIR, MoCo4Change, and Knine Rescue. He is also an accomplished musician, serving as co-captain of Northwood High School’s drumline, performing as a percussionist in the school’s symphonic ensemble, and earning selection to the Montgomery County Senior Honors Band. In his free time, he enjoys photography and recreational basketball.
While the Student Member of the Board role requires a significant commitment beyond the school day, the position includes Student Service Learning (SSL) hours, one honors-level social studies credit, and a $25,000 award that can be used as a college scholarship, a stipend, or a combination of both.
