Arundel Student to Serve on State Board

An Arundel High School student has been selected to serve on the state's highest school board. 

Christian Hodges has been appointed by Gov. Martin O'Malley to serve on the Maryland State Board of Education. He will begin his term in July and serve through the 2013-14 school year. 

"I'm really passionate about education and student advocacy," said Hodges, who is finishing up his junior year. "I'm really excited to be on the same board with people who are so smart and so incredible. I'm going to be put in an evironment where I'm bound to grow."

Hodges is no stranger to student government. He currently represents the Mid-Atlantic region on the National Association of Student Councils and has held positions in student government at Arundel High and the Maryland Association of Student Councils. 

The state board position will result in Hodges missing some class, but he said he has had strong support from school administrators, including Arundel principal Sharon Stratton. 

"She was the second person that knew," Hodges said. "She was very happy. I think it's a great thing for the school."

As a student representative on the state board, Hodges will not have full voting rights, but will be able to weigh in on most issues except appeals and some personnel matters. He said he hopes to be an advocate for school safety and has a strong anti-bullying message. He also said he'd like to see the state board become more connected to student government organizations at the school level. 

Hodges is in the midst of his college search, and said he'd like to major in public policy at a school in the northeast. 

See also: 

• Arundel's Hodges Names to National Student Council