Starting this month, Evan Warren, 16, will take over as the student representative on the Carroll County Public Schools Board of Education.
Warren, a soon-to-be-junior at Westminster High School, lives in Finksburg with his brother, Garrett, his mom, Tina, and his dad, Tom. Warren said he’s a nationally ranked place kicker, and is also the starting kicker on the Westminster Owls varsity football team. This past spring, Warren completed his first year on the school’s tennis team.
Warren was also recently elected to be the junior representative for the National Honor Society, is an an active member of the Student Government Association and the Investment Club, and has also been accepted into the Carroll County Academy of Finance. In his spare time, he also volunteers as a Spanish tutor for his classmates.
Outside of school and sports, Warren said he likes to hang out with friends, work out, read and spend time at the beach.
The Carroll County Times caught up with Warren to talk about his new role as the BOE student representative.
Q: Why did you want to be the student representative for the BOE? How long will you serve?
A: I developed an interest in serving on the Board of Education while taking Mr. Aaron Robinson’s AP Government class last year. The class taught me a great deal about government processes and it inspired me to get involved and be active in public policy. In addition, Mr. Robinson brought the opportunity of student representative to my attention. I thought it would be cool to interact with students from across the county, represent their opinions on the Board of Education and experience local government first hand. I will serve during the 2018-2019 school year.
Q: What do you see your role as the student representative to be? Why do you think this position is important to the board?
A: As student representative, my role is to share the student body’s perspectives about important policy topics with the adult members of the board. I also believe the student representative has the responsibility to communicate with other student leaders around the county about the decisions directly impacting them and their classmates. I think this position is important to the board because it can offer a unique point of view and raise important questions that the board may not otherwise consider.
Q: What are you hoping to bring to the position, and do you have any goals you are hoping to accomplish?
A: I am hoping to bring enthusiasm, energy and ideas from the student body to the Board of Education. My goal is to provide input and to influence upcoming board discussions on important topics like facilities usage and school safety while working with newly appointed Carroll County Schools Superintendent, Dr. Steven Lockard.
Q: What do you think are some of the biggest challenges students in CCPS are facing?
A: Despite the recent discussions about the budget and facilities plan, I feel that there is still lots of work to be done in the upcoming year. In addition, students are also facing school safety concerns, changes to the Career and Tech Center, balancing the desires for free speech with the needs of administration and the unfortunately persistent issues of bullying, diversity and acceptance. These challenges will be addressed in the coming year and I believe that the student body has a great opportunity to have their voice heard.
