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New student member Vanessa Lee outlines ACT priorities, student outreach plans
Summary
Vanessa Lee, the student member of the board for 2025–26, introduced herself and said her priorities are ACT — advocacy, communication and transparency — and outlined plans for an Instagram presence, monthly video updates and student focus groups.
Vanessa Lee, the newly seated student member of the Saint Mary's County Board of Education for the 2025–26 year, introduced herself Wednesday and outlined plans to focus on advocacy, communication and transparency for the district's roughly 17,000 students.
Lee, a senior at Leonardtown High School and an ex‑officio member of the Saint Mary's Association Student Councils, said she will prioritize student advocacy on topics such as school safety, mental health and curriculum, and will work with the superintendent on student engagement opportunities including focus groups and a superintendent student leadership advisory council.
She proposed a three‑part approach summarized by the acronym ACT—Advocacy, Communication and Transparency—and said she plans to run a SMOB Instagram account, issue a 60‑second monthly “SMOB Monthly Minute” video recap and use polls and surveys to gather student input. Lee also said she and the district are developing more accessible advocacy toolkits to help students learn how to testify and follow the legislative process.
Lee thanked outgoing student board member Hannah Heisler and said representing 17,000 students is a responsibility she does not take lightly; she invited students to contact her at blee@smcps.org or via the SMOB Instagram handle.
