Clarksburg junior Praneel Suvarna becomes 47th Student Member of the Board

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Photo: Praneel Suvarna will succeed Sami Saeed as the Student Member of the Board of Education, defeating Blair's Samantha Ross in the final election.

Praneel Suvarna will succeed Sami Saeed as the Student Member of the Board of Education, defeating Blair's Samantha Ross in the final election.

On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, Clarksburg junior Praneel Suvarna won the 2024 Student Member of the Board Election (SMOB). Survana will succeed MCPS’s current SMOB, Sami Saeed, and won over Blair junior Samantha Ross, with 53 percent of the vote. 

Suvarna is currently the vice president of Montgomery County’s Regional SGA, Clarksburg SGA’s Class President, a Moco4Change Field Organization Director, and a Summer Rise Intern. Outside of his campaign, he has lobbied for various issues, including free school lunches, a lower voting age for Board of Education elections, and mental health in schools.

Suvarna received campaign endorsements from a collection of students and organizations across the county, including former state SMOB finalist Madison Watts, MoCo4Change president Daniel Suh, Whitman4Change, and MoCo ST.AN.D. His campaign was run primarily on issues like school safety and restorative justice, mental health, sustainability, and battling the opportunity gap and drug/opioid crisis. He also focused on diverting funding for infrastructure to underserved schools, budgeting to prioritize student wellbeing, and lifting regulations on football games. 

Suvarna will succeed MCPS’s current SMOB Sami Saeed on July 1, 2024.