focuses on leadership in the schools, said the student member of the board is important for the school community.

“We are looking to hopefully inspire and encourage students to see themselves as voters,” Drummond said.

Drasin and Koung were chosen out of a pool of 11 students at the county’s student council convention on Feb. 18. The convention gathered 140 student delegates from the school system’s middle and high schools to vote for the final two student candidates.

The two students began their campaigns in early March before the coronavirus closed schools.

They both suspended their campaigns March 13 and restarted them digitally May 4. The candidates are using social media and a Canvas page to pitch their platforms.

On Koung’s online materials, he explains he decided to run for the position after he studied the weaknesses of the U.S. education system for a research project.

He said he’s passionate about financial literacy and student mental health.

Drasin, meanwhile, is a member on Long Reach’s Student Government Association executive board and has served on two school system policy committees. He said mental health awareness and student opportunity are among topics he cares about.

Alston will serve on the board through the summer before heading to study at the University of Virginia. Her advice for her replacement is to “relax.”

“You can get tense thinking about being in an adult world and having a lot of pressure to represent close to 60,000 students,” Alston said. “It’s all about having a learning experience at the end of the day. Make the most of it, and stay true to yourself.”