Junior Reemey Ghermay, the first WJ student to become a finalist for Student Member of the Board (SMOB) since 2007, has hit the campaign trail with a running start.
Since being selected at the SMOB Nominating Convention on Feb. 11, Ghermay has worked to build support for her candidacy and her platform through social media engagement, public speaking events and school visits.
Ghermay has visited multiple MCPS schools since announcing her campaign for SMOB in early January. Through these visits, Ghermay has been able to communicate directly with middle and high schoolers about the wide range of issues that they face on a daily basis, some of which were previously unfamiliar to her as a WJ student.
“It’s been super helpful to talk to students about their experiences,” Ghermay said. “For example, at Rockville High School, I got to hear from students about their ID policy, which is very different from ours. They have to carry them around all day on lanyards provided by the school. Seeing how students feel about those differences, getting to know what students really want and how I can best support them as SMOB, has been really helpful in my campaign.”
ID policy around Montgomery County is an important aspect of one of the core focuses of Ghermay’s platform: school security. Recent incidents of gun violence or threats of such violence have caused a significant amount of concern among MCPS families. If elected, Ghermay will combat those concerns with the implementation of new policies, as well as the reinforcement of preexisting ones.
“We’ve all seen incidents that have happened as of late and I think needs to be addressed as soon as possible,” Ghermay said. “We could do this by strengthening our security, keeping security in positions for longer periods of time. Something less long-term that I’d want to get the started on is weapons detection systems in our schools. Students deserve to feel safe when they walk into their building.”
Ghermay has also been outspoken about ensuring the safety of immigrant students from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a goal which she expressed in a speech delivered during WJ’s first anti-ICE walkout on Jan. 23.
“School safety also means ensuring that our immigrant families feel safe, especially when it comes to safeguarding student data, ensuring that immigration status isn’t something that can be easily accessible, as well as keeping our campuses secure from unwanted law enforcement presence,” Ghermay said.
Ghermay’s campaign has also placed an emphasis on communication. On March 10, she fielded questions from MCPS students during a panel held by MoCo for Change along with her opponent Leul Dawit of Northwood. She has maintained a consistent presence on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok to keep her followers updated on events and informed of the details of her platform and plans to continue practicing consistent communication if elected by reinstating the SMOB Monthly Minute, a minute-long segment shown in schools to inform students about recent actions taken by the Board of Education.
Communication from Ghermay’s campaign has not been solely limited to English. To reach out to MCPS’ Spanish-speaking students, she has created several social media posts in Spanish over the last several months, which were translated by junior Nicole Palacios.
“I think it’s really important to translate these materials to make them more accessible for everyone,” Palacios said. “It really allows her campaign to be widespread, and to get different perspectives and different people to engage with her and her campaign.”
Ghermay’s campaign trail has extended across Montgomery County and will no doubt continue to stretch farther until Election Day on April 22. Still, Ghermay remains strongly tied to her friends and fellow students at WJ.
“I’m super grateful for the WJ community supporting me in my campaign,” Ghermay said. “I’m super excited for what it could bring.”
