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Teen named 2026 "Councilmember for a Day" urges more upcounty recreation and teen programs
Summary
Samir Ahmed, a 10th grader at Winston Churchill High School, was named Montgomery County's 2026 Councilmember for a Day and urged the council to invest in rec centers and teen programming, particularly upcounty where access is limited.
Councilmember Will Jawando introduced the 2026 Councilmember for a Day program on April 14 and announced Samir Ahmed, a 10th grader at Winston Churchill High School, as the winner for his video essay calling for more recreation funding and teen programming.
Jawando praised the students who entered the contest, summarizing runners-up Emily Garcia-Pena and Christian Carpenter and saying the submissions "give us a reason to hope that the future's going to be better than where we are currently." The council planned to host the videos on its website and hold a celebratory lunch for the winner and runners-up.
Samir Ahmed, who said many rec centers and programs are concentrated down county, argued that upcounty teenagers lack third spaces after school and are pushed into malls and other public places. "We need more spaces like recreation departments ... where kids can go and have third spaces," he said, calling for extended hours, increased funding and expanded teen programming.
Members of the council and staff noted their support; the council read a short proclamation recognizing Ahmed’s advocacy and invited a photo with the council and his family. The proclamation called for increased funding for rec centers and encouraged students to boost civic engagement. The council then moved to general business.
