Yoseph Zerihun advances as SMOB Finalist
Michael Tran, NHS Co-President | February 16th, 2023
Michael Tran, NHS Co-President | February 16th, 2023
Yoseph Zerihun is the jack of all trades; from being Vice President of NHS to being the Captain of the Mock Trail Team, he is a widely known and liked junior.
Yoseph is becoming more recognized across the county for being elected as an MCPS Student Member of the Board (SMOB) finalist. Rivaling against Richard Montgomery's junior Sami Saeed, Yoseph has a plan. Prioritizing issues such as representation, he says, "I want to ensure that the voices of the NEC & DCC, historically underrepresented areas, get heard. Beyond that, for ALL schools to get heard."
Historically, a SMOB pipeline has always led to a majority of students from Richard Montgomery being elected. However, this issue has raised concerns about representation, inclusion, and accessibility, as the last SMOB from the Northeast Consortium (NEC) was Springbrook's Sarah Horvitz (2006-2007). Coming very close to two decades without an NEC SMOB. However, his recent victory in advancing to the finalist stage has NEC and DCC students hopeful of change. He says, "I was overjoyed; it was an incredible feeling. I am still processing the victory; however, I'm ready to continue a great campaign and fight for all MCPS students."
At hand, the issue of accessibility and representation across MCPS' board of education is systemic due to a lack of outreach to our communities. To fight these issues, electing Yoseph as the 46th SMOB will be the start of improving our school communities. Please continue to show Yoseph your support and vote for him on SMOB Election Day (Wednesday, April 19, 2023).