The Montgomery County Board of Education recently honored 21 individuals and organizations during its annual Distinguished Service Awards ceremony. The ceremony took place at the Carver Educational Services Center in Rockville.

The Board established the awards to recognize and show appreciation for exemplary contributions to public education and to MCPS by members of the community, businesses, MCPS staff and school volunteers.

This year’s Distinguished Service Award winners are:

Community Individual

Craig Rice

A lifelong resident of Montgomery County, Mr. Craig Rice attended Montgomery County Public Schools, graduating from Montgomery Blair High School. He attended the University of Illinois and the University of Maryland, where he graduated with a major in Computer Science.

Mr. Rice was elected to the County Council in November 2010, becoming the youngest African American to serve on the nine-member Council and only the second African American male to serve in that role. Mr. Rice’s commitment to public service included serving as a member of the House of Delegates in the Maryland General Assembly from 2006 until 2010, where he was on the legislative body’s prestigious and influential Ways and Means Committee.

In 2010, he won the election as the District 2 representative on the County Council. A resident of Germantown, he represents the Upcounty region of Montgomery County’s most geographically diverse district, as well as its fastest growing.

Mr. Rice chairs the Council’s Education and Culture Committee and serves on its Health and Human Services Committee. In addition, he serves as the Council’s representative to the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) in Annapolis, chairs MACo's Education Sub-Committee, and is currently President of the MACo Diversity Caucus.

In September 2016, Mr. Rice was named to the Maryland Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education (also known as The Kirwan Commission). This commission led the first major review of education funding in the state since the Thornton Commission’s review almost two decades ago. He led the way in increasing funding for full day pre-K in Montgomery County and in the State. Mr. Rice’s continued dedication to public education and his service to the community make him a deserving recipient of this award.

Romina Byrd

For the past 20 years, Ms. Romina Byrd has been employed with Miller & Long Co., Inc. and is currently their Director of Training Education. Throughout her tenure at Miller & Long, Ms. Byrd has been instrumental in establishing and strengthening Miller & Long's partnership with the County’s Students Construction Trades Foundation (CTF). Ms. Byrd's tireless devotion and passion to ensure MCPS students are given opportunities to experience the construction field prior to graduation has made her an asset to the construction program.

For the past five years, Ms. Byrd has been an active participant of the CTF's Board of Directors and currently serves as Second Vice President. She has been influential in growing and strengthening business partnerships between local businesses and the CTF. She collaborates with industry partners to share best practices, technology trends, and workforce needs. She helps to guide the curriculum, equipment and materials needed for a successful construction education program.

One of Ms. Byrd's most recent accomplishments included arranging the donation of foundation work for the 42nd Young American (YA) student-designed and student-built home. She secured the donation of concrete, labor, materials and equipment from Miller & Long. She also reached out to Donohoe Construction, and found a project manager who organized and supervised the pouring of the foundation. This foundation process was incorporated into lesson plans for students at the construction site.

Ms. Byrd also supports CTF students through the donation of her time and representation of Miller & Long Co. Inc. at the annual student job fair. Ms. Byrd conducts traditional job interviews to assess students' skills, and provides feedback to students on their interview skills and resume composition.

Ms. Byrd's involvement with Miller & Long, and her experience in the education field has been utilized as an exemplary program model for education and business partnerships. She has replicated the partnership in surrounding districts.

Byron Johns

Mr. Byron Johns took a budding parent organization—the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Parents’ Council—and made it into the influential organization it is today.

Mr. Johns became chair of the NAACP Parents’ Council in 2011 and has worked tirelessly to ensure that there is a parent representative who attends Parent, Teacher, and Student Association meetings in all MCPS schools. He has taught parents of color the importance of being involved in their children's education and that one does not just show up to school when there is a problem. The Chinese American Parents Association used his work as a model to establish their organization to advocate on behalf of Asian students.

Mr. Johns has been the driving force in expanding the Parents Council partnerships with the MCPS administration, the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Association (MCCPTA), the Montgomery County League of Women Voters, and with Latino advocacy organizations such as Identity, Inc. He also has elevated the NAACP Parents’ Council/MCPS Annual Kickoff into a "must attend" event for parents, MCPS principals, administrators and all of those invested in the education and achievement of students of color.

The impact of Mr. Johns' work has been to shine a bright light on issues of equity, the need to diversify the staff of MCPS, the improvement of cultural competency of all who work for MCPS, and the development of strategies to eliminate the achievement/opportunity gap.

Priscilla Fritter Peterson

Ms. Priscilla Fritter Peterson is one of the gems of the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations (MCCPTA). For the past 11 years, Ms. Peterson has been the Cultural Arts Chair with MCCPTA. She has ensured that the Cultural Arts Showcases and accompanying booklet are distributed to all PTA Cultural Arts Chairs districtwide. Ms. Peterson is an artist with a lengthy and distinguished career as an accomplished musician. She was a principal flutist with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. Raised in a household of music, Ms. Peterson continues volunteering for, and making a significant contribution to MCCPTA, long after having a child in MCPS, to make sure all our students are given an opportunity to be immersed in the arts.

In addition to serving as MCCPTA Cultural Arts Chair since 2008, Ms. Peterson has served on the Superintendent’s Committee for Performances in MCPS for more than 20 years. In these roles, she has emphasized the importance of arts at a time in which schools need the gifts of outside performances more than ever. Thanks to her efforts, MCPS has talented individuals that bring live musical performances, exotic animals, magicians with positive messages, and hundreds of other creative talents to the doorsteps of our schools.

It is hard to measure the incalculable enrichment over a lifetime that cultural arts bring to all MCPS students. The gifts, talent and enthusiasm of Ms. Priscilla Fritter Peterson have changed the cultural arts landscape in MCPS.

Kimberly Summers

Seldom does a person become as woven into the fabric of a school community as Ms. Kimberly Summers has during the past 13 years. Children moving through Spark M. Matsunaga Elementary, Kingsview Middle and Northwest High schools reap the rewards of her hard work, clear vision, parent leadership and dedication, to making the experience of school remarkable and memorable.

Ms. Summers began her involvement when her oldest son started kindergarten in 2006. During the course of the last 13 years, she has served on PTSA boards at each school and has been president of each.

At Matsunaga, Ms. Summers raised more than $35,000 for school improvements. One of her undertakings was the organization of an “all-school field day” at Matsunaga, a school so large that grade levels had to do a field day for six days to allow every child in each grade level to participate. Ms. Summers spent months coordinating the use of the SoccerPlex, MCPS school buses, the preparation and delivery of lunches by the Department of Food and Nutrition Services, along with dozens of volunteers. But, she made it happen, and it has created lasting memories for hundreds of children.

At Kingsview, she introduced a Color Run, held so all 1,000 students can participate. Ms. Summers collaborated with other parents, staff and local businesses to run separate Color Runs for each grade level.

At Northwest, she led the charge to raise money for school improvements, and started a Jag Pride Club to build school spirit, help with school improvements, and provide leadership opportunities for students. She has also served as chair for the After Prom committee.

Ms. Summers is a servant leader who finds opportunities to make her community a better place. Her masterful organization, selfless dedication and tireless work ethic, leave a lasting impression.

Community Group

Partnership for Excellence

The Partnership for Excellence has roots in the community going back more than 19 years. During the last three years, community providers, school personnel and families, have worked together to develop plans and supports for the Scotland community and underserved portions of the larger Potomac community. This partnership has helped highlight information and consolidate the support for underserved children and families by sharing resources and aligning the work of several groups so that they can make a bigger difference.

The Partnership for Excellence has collaborated with MCPS at the elementary, middle and high school levels to promote and support county initiatives. They have been a hub for unifying the work with the Montgomery County Police Department, Suburban Hospital, the Montgomery County Recreation Department, Scotland Storm, the Scotland A.M.E. Zion Church and others. The partnership has coordinated and promoted information campaigns, after-school and summer programming, and tutoring for students.

The group has assisted with promoting communications and information about MCPS programs and opportunities; and giving families information about counseling services, the Naviance system (for helping student prepare for life after high school), articulation and special education services. They have helped coordinate information nights and celebrations to bring students from the wider Potomac service area into the Scotland community and the Thompson Scotland Recreation Center so that all students can benefit from programs and supports. They also have helped the community to identify needs and advocate for the specific needs of the families and community to county government and service providers.

Business

Carol Trawick

Ms. Carol Trawick is a positive driving force in supporting the success of underrepresented youth by providing unique opportunities for MCPS schools. The Trawick Foundation has provided multiple schools with grant funding for schools to partner with nonprofit organizations to create experiences based on the needs of the students. Ms. Trawick has a vision of how to support the whole school community and works closely with principals to ensure that MCPS creates programs that are accountable for student success.

Ms. Trawick's foundation has provided opportunities for the Parkland Middle School community for three years. During the first two years, Ms. Trawick collaborated with Kid Museum, Passion 4 Learning and AFI Theater. All Parkland students were able to see a film at AFI that is connected to their grade-level science courses. Trawick’s support allowed the school to invite families in to watch a film and hear from speakers about science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM). The underrepresented population of students in STEAM visited Kid Museum throughout the year to learn about the engineering and design process and create their own inventions.

This three-year collaboration has inspired MCPS students to take part in more STEAM electives and programs at Parkland. Teachers received professional development from the Kid Museum that has engaged them in thinking about how STEAM can be incorporated in their instruction.

The Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation GMStrong! at Gaithersburg Middle School is a holistic in-school and after-school program that increases connectedness and resiliency and tackles social and emotional issues.  Due to the funding provided by the Trawick Foundation, Gaithersburg Middle was able to partner with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), Project Change and RIM to work with school staff to meet the goals identified for students.

Ms. Trawick is a visionary and her support transcends the school building and makes a difference in the lives and futures of MCPS students.

MCPS Staff

Chaunetta Anderson

Mrs. Chaunetta Anderson works tirelessly for MCPS students (in addition to the four children of her own at home). She has created a strong Student Government Association program at Neelsville Middle School, and is using her role to show students the power of their voice. Mrs. Anderson had students speak in front of the Montgomery County Board of Education on at least two occasions. Mrs. Anderson held a wonderful SGA banquet at the end of last year to celebrate their successful first year. 

Mrs. Anderson is constantly recognizing students and staff. She has implemented a Teacher of the Month program at Neelsville to recognize staff for their hard work; she creates events to bring the community into the school building like “A Safe Knight In” (a trick or treating event), and she is an equity warrior. She also cares about the building as a whole- thanks to her hard work, Neelsville is now on the list of schools recommended for the Capital Improvements Program.

Mrs. Anderson works extremely hard for the staff and students. She builds great relationships and wants the best for everyone. She is always doing something to benefit someone else in the building; trying to make Neelsville a better place. Mrs. Anderson does not give up. She professionally and respectfully gets the job done. Her staff and school families know that they can depend on her.

Sarah Fillman

Ms. Sarah Fillman became the Communication Arts Program (CAP) coordinator at Montgomery Blair High School in 2014. Since then, she has heralded a variety of reforms to CAP that have helped diversify the student body, improve the interdisciplinary nature of the program, and help build a small learning community in which students and teachers are working together to ensure a school experience defined by a sense of civic purpose, communal belonging and academic achievement.

The opportunity gap between Hispanic/African American and white/Asian students is a topic MCPS has focused on. Ms. Fillman recognized the need to cast a wider net so that more middle school students are familiar with the CAP application process. This initiative was heightened through her collaboration with a student-led advocacy group, Black CAP.

Black CAP works to diversify “test-in” magnet programs and offer supportive spaces for students of color in special programs. Ms. Fillman encouraged Black CAP to offer academic support for ambitious students of color with hopes of gaining acceptance to a magnet program in middle school.

Ms. Fillman has introduced a CAP Community Day of Service in which all CAP students spend one day volunteering at a variety of charities in Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Washington, D.C. She initiated the CAP Ambassadors Program, where upperclassmen are paired with ninth graders to offer academic and emotional support.

The CAP has seen a significant increase in student retention, which translates to more students receiving prestigious CAP certificates. A greater percentage of students of color are also applying to the program, being accepted to the program, and completing the program.

Taylor Garber

Dedicated would not even begin to describe Ms. Tayler Garber’s commitment to MCPS students. She runs an after-school club twice a week for underprivileged students, runs mentoring programs among staff, and continuously builds strong relationships with MCPS’ hardest-to-reach students. Ms. Garber cares so deeply for her students that she even has individualized handshakes with each of her mentees. These daily efforts by Ms. Garber are immensely powerful for students’ well-being.

Last year, Ms. Garber started a Homework Club twice a week for students who need more structure outside of school. Students have snacks, homework help and extra recess. They also are provided with small group supplemental homework support by Ms. Garber and other teachers on any academic area a student may need. She has also organized middle schoolers to come volunteer to read to younger students each Homework Club.

Students who have participated in this program during the years have learned they can depend on Ms. Garber. These students will have lasting relationships with one another and are making strides socially, emotionally and academically.

Randi Gritz

Mrs. Randi Gritz is the personification of kindness. She is warm and caring with every child and regularly searches for opportunities to improve their lives. For the past six years, she has run a program to provide bags of food to low-income students every Friday so they do not have to worry about food during the weekends. During the holidays, she creates baskets of goods and drops them off at families' houses. Her insight into the need for this program and her passion in implementing the program, undoubtedly shows her compassion and caring for all students.

These students are better able to learn and focus on their school work because they are not worried about what they are going to eat.  Her kindness and thoughtful efforts support these students, improve their lives, and makes MCPS a better place. Mrs. Gritz embodies the values of the Distinguished Service award and strongly deserves this recognition.

Elizabeth Nardin

Ms. Elizabeth Nardin is dedicated to the students in the School Community Based (SCB) program, which has some of the most impacted and vulnerable students in MCPS. As many educators do, Ms. Nardin arrives early and stays late. Aside from planning, Ms. Nardin supports her students in almost every way imaginable, including helping them off the bus, supporting parents, and helping them learn basic life skills.

In 2016, she co-founded The Green Fork Salad Co., an in-school job skills class where students with special needs work on important life and job skills including grocery shopping, basic food preparation, customer service and cleaning. This program has now served more than 2,000 salads, soups and sandwiches to staff at Gaithersburg High School. In its third year, The Green Fork Salad Co. has served as a sustainable weekly job training site for SCB students.

Ms. Nardin consistently goes above and beyond for her students. While at Watkins Mill High School, she and her Living for Independence students started a GoFundMe campaign to get a power chair for one of her students. She has maintained a good relationship with the family of another student who had been at Gaithersburg before he needed a more restrictive placement. When she heard there were openings for a residential adult program, she worked with the family to get them connected; now, this former student is thriving. She serves on the Board of Directors at Rehabilitation Opportunities, Inc., using this position to gain insight as to how to best prepare students for their post-high school success.

Sarah Delphus Neubold

Ms. Sarah Delphus Neubold has been a visual arts educator in MCPS since 2002 and currently serves as the fine arts content specialist. She supports more than 500 pre K-12 Visual Arts, Theatre, and Dance teachers across the district. She is a committed advocate for equitable access to high-quality education through the fine arts for all students.

As an arts educator, Ms. Neubold has worked to build programs that balance the study of artists and cultures, aesthetics, and critique with creating and performing. She encourages arts educators to plan content that is contemporary, culturally responsive, relevant and meaningful. She seeks out opportunities to think beyond the art room, the fine arts office, and the district—making connections across contents, Maryland and the nation.

Ms. Neubold’s service to public education extends beyond her position within MCPS. She is actively involved and a leader within several professional associations (Maryland Art Education Association, National Art Education Association, and the Montgomery County Education Association).

She seeks opportunities to display student artwork in visible locations across the county, state, and the nation. She works with the MCPS Visual Art Center (VAC) at Einstein High School and, during the past three years, has streamlined the application process. Every spring, she provides verbal and written feedback to VAC students after participating in their senior art show critique.

The MCPS Theatre Festival has a direct impact on more than 300 students annually.  Professional theatre artists adjudicate student performances and portfolio presentations. Colleges and universities support this event with workshops, audition opportunities, and student scholarships.

She has initiated the implementation of a new program to explore art education as a career pathway. The smART summer program will be implemented for the first time during the summer of 2019 and will provide rising high school juniors and seniors with a three-week career development experience, by working directly with master art educators as mentors, to plan and deliver an instructional art program for elementary students in Grades 1-5.

Sean Pang

Mr. Sean Pang is an outstanding teacher, who makes himself available for his students day in and day out. He was nominated for this award by a student at Rockville High School. He is the sponsor of so many initiatives, from the award winning literary magazine club, Echoes, to Asian American club, and most recently the Fringes initiative. The Fringes Initiative was a project that a student and Mr. Pang worked on together for more than six months, to establish a college scholarship fund for low-income MCPS high school seniors. Mr. Pang told her she could change the world and acknowledged her potential. A year later, the student told him she wanted to do something to help her community and he devoted himself to helping her.

During the next six months, he worked with the student to uncover the hidden pockets of poverty in Montgomery County. They created a documentary, called Fringes, to highlight the struggles of people living on the fringes of this wealthy county. Mr. Pang was able to share the documentary and coordinate the scholarship and together they raised $1,000 to give back. That is at the core of who Mr. Pang is—someone always looking to give back. It is no surprise that The Washington Post named him Teacher of the Year in 2016.

Mr. Pang's commitment and dedication has made his school a more welcoming place. He has fostered a community of togetherness at Rockville. During lunchtime, his classroom is teeming with people, because they know his room is a safe space to hang out in. In the halls, he is always ready with a smile to greet students.

Lola Rogers

Ms. Lola Rogers is the go to person at Watkins Mill High School. Ms. Rogers is compassionate, smart, positive, energetic, dedicated and creative.

Ms. Rogers greets students with warmth and humor, yet she has a no-nonsense demeanor. She has bought clothes for her students and families and has delivered furniture to one of her homeless students. She runs the Youth Summit program that provides a fun, comprehensive environment for rising Grade 9 students to find out about the school.

For the past three years, Ms. Rogers coordinated the Trawick grant (a grant that she applied for and won). This Youth Summit grant helps 100 incoming freshmen get started at school each year. During the summer, she plans whitewater rafting and rock climbing trips. She lines up guest speakers and provides meals with parents. During the school year, the program emphasizes leadership, participation and advocacy. This $150,000 grant helps incoming freshmen by exposing them to classmate support and adult mentors, along with extracurricular events.

Also, Ms. Rogers works with the community and companies such as OPIS (Oil Pricing Information Systems), a Fortune 500 company, to help support the underserved students with backpacks and school supplies. OPIS has also provided food for Thanksgiving meals for the school’s most disadvantaged families. This group also provided holiday food and gifts for families, and shelf-stable food during spring break. Ms. Rogers makes providing food for those less fortunate a schoolwide and community mission by partnering with staff members, local churches and businesses, and the school’s Wellness Center. Ms. Rogers also is the liaison for the school’s business partner, United Communications Group, Inc. (UCG). They provide supplies for students, guest speakers, and mentoring.

Laurie Tarner

Recently retired MCPS counselor Laurie Tarner is a rare individual. She has gone the extra mile for many years at Earle B. Wood Middle School. When her off hours could have been spent doing things for herself and her family, she spent it with her family in service to the entire Wood community. Her upbeat nature, love for students and community, and tireless work ethic made her school shine in a most unique way. 

Ms. Tarner and her daughter would find inspirational words and transform them into motivational art masterpieces that adorn Wood. These phrases, sayings and quotes by great people in history are hand cut from two or more layers of paper creating a most striking effect.  The process was painstaking, but when put together, created a motivational, artistic masterpiece. The words adorning the school walls inspire students, staff, volunteers and visitors every day.

While Ms. Tarner may be retired, her loving craftswomanship lives on. The fact that she and her family invested hours of tender loving care into each hand-crafted grouping of words is incredible. The fact that these words go on to inspire current and future Woodites is a gift.

School Service Volunteer

Oscar Alvarenga and Sarahi Segura

The dynamic duo that is Oscar Alvarenga and his wife Sarahi Segura have breathed a new sense of pride into Summit Hall Elementary School. Since at least 2012, they have led their school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and community in a myriad of ways.

Mr. Alvarenga has has the rare ability to say he attended that school himself as a student, a fact he used, to great effect, as a tireless advocate for getting two outbuildings constructed outside the walls of his beloved school, replacing several portables. The couple has gone the extra mile over the years. They have been responsible for the staging of special shows produced, sponsored, written, and coordinated by the students and their families; free professional tennis clinics; color runs, among others.

The principal welcomed Mr. Alvarenga and Mrs. Segura in and encouraged them to get more involved. This pair was off to the races. Mr. Alvarenga was eager to improve membership and engagement in his community. When the National PTA came calling to take one of their national staff members on a tour of the county, one choice of school to visit was simple: Summit Hall ES. Mr. Alvarenga showed them the good works the community had done.

Mr. Alvarenga used his powers of persuasion to obtain free after-school tennis lessons. He found sponsors to put on “Color Runs” when they were all the rage. They spruced the staff lounge up into a showplace of respite and rejuvenation. When the National Book Festival was in full swing in Washington, D.C., they convinced the City of Gaithersburg to fund a bus to transport students to see it. When students wanted to compose and put on a play, they made sure to help the students live out this dream. It seems the entire community came out to celebrate this triumph for Summit Hall students.

Joan Paull

Ms. Joan Paull has been a dedicated school volunteer for MCPS schools for more than 21 years. She has worked in three MCPS schools, starting at Cloverly Elementary School when her granddaughter began kindergarten. She loves the media center and has dedicated many hours to shelving books, repairing books, laminating items for teachers, caring for the courtyard, and supporting the school in any way that she could. A boundary change for her granddaughter meant a new volunteer opportunity for Ms. Paull, as she began volunteering at Sherwood Elementary School. Now, long after her granddaughter graduated from MCPS, Ms. Paull continues to volunteer. She joined the volunteers at Bel Pre Elementary School when she was informed about the need for volunteers. She continues to serve kindergarten students, helping them with reading reinforcement and sharing a wealth of information with them.

Ms. Paull is currently the only consistent volunteer in the library media center. She is known to as “Grandma Paull,” an endearing term she has earned because she truly is everyone's grandma, believing all children can learn and excel. Ms. Paull has an incredible can-do spirit and is a true model of a life-longer learner who believes in service to others. She says the key is to “keep moving” and that serving others brings her joy.

Individual Pioneer

Marshal Greenblatt

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the creation of the Marian Greenblatt Education Fund. The Fund has grown from a small charity that recognized one MCPS teacher per year to a multi-faceted effort that has honored more than 100 teachers. One person is responsible for the Fund’s dynamic support for MCPS: Dr. Marshal Greenblatt. Since he founded the Fund in 1989, the Fund has awarded $167,800 to excellent teachers and students, of which $97,500 has gone to 105 teachers and $70,300 to 520 students.

Indeed, the Fund was Dr. Greenblatt’s brainchild, created in 1989 to commemorate his late wife, Dr. Marian Greenblatt. Under his leadership, the Fund not only recognizes great Montgomery County teachers on its own, but also has partnered with MCPS since 2005 to select its Teacher of the Year.

Dr. Greenblatt expanded the Fund’s awards by creating a separate prize that honors more junior teachers who are rising stars. He also created an award to recognize an outstanding student at the University of Maryland, College of Education who aspires to teach K-12. He established the Marian Greenblatt Social Studies Award to recognize one junior at each MCPS high school for excellence in social studies, and co-founded a world language scholarship that awards at least one high school student a prize of $1,000 for outstanding performance in a foreign language.

Dr. Greenblatt also co-founded the Information Technology Foundation (ITF). This nonprofit foundation was established by MCPS and Dr. Greenblatt and others in the Montgomery County business community to promote critical IT education in Grades K-12 through hands-on instruction and on-the-job training.

Mike Michaelson

Mr. Mike Michaelson was the student affairs specialist for MCPS from 1958-1995. He mentored students from across the county and the state to encourage them to care about their education and to contribute to it by being involved in student activities, including the county student government organizations.

He taught multiple generations of students how to effect change, from the development of the student involvement policy and the code of student rights and responsibilities and enactment of legislation adding a student to the school board in the 1970s, to the direct election of the student board member and enactment of partial voting rights in the 1980s, to the first student members to exercise voting rights in the 1990s.

He continued his work with students as one of the key figures in the Maryland Leadership Workshops and as an advisor to the Maryland Association of Student Councils long after his retirement from MCPS.

More than any other individual in the last 50-60 years, Mr. Michaelson was responsible for creating an expectation that students should be involved in educational decisions and should speak out on their own behalf, but also needed to "do their homework" and know what they are talking about to effectively represent themselves to the school board and to other elected officials. That culture and expectation has now been passed along from one generation of students to another, and has been an important part of leadership education in Montgomery County, and he is to be recognized for laying its groundwork.