Lorena Wu, a rising junior at Poolesville High School, now holds a vote on the state board that sets education policy for nearly a million Maryland public school students, including those in Potomac.

Wu was sworn in as the 2026–2027 Maryland Student Member of the Board of Education on July 1 by the Montgomery County Clerk of the Court, according to the Maryland Association of Student Councils. Gov. Wes Moore appointed her to the position earlier in 2026.

"Congratulations to Lorena Wu, a rising junior at Poolesville High School, on being sworn in as the 2026-2027 Maryland Student Member of the Board of Education!" MCPS posted to Facebook. "We're excited to see Wu advocate for students and help shape the future of education across Maryland."

The role carries statewide reach. Under Maryland law (Md. Code Ann. Educ. § 2-202(c)), the state student member casts a vote on the majority of matters before the Maryland State Board of Education and participates fully in executive session. The General Assembly created the position in 1985. Wu now represents the interests of students at Winston Churchill High School, Thomas S. Wootton High School, Herbert Hoover Middle School and every other public school in the state.

How the state seat differs from the county SMOB

The state role is distinct from the Montgomery County student board member position. Leul Dawit, a rising junior at Northwood High School, was installed as the 49th MCPS Student Member of the Board on July 6. Dawit votes on MCPS budget, boundary and collective bargaining decisions for the district's 155,000-plus students. Wu's authority extends to statewide curriculum standards, funding formulas and regulations that flow down to every local district.

Wu's background

Wu brings deep Montgomery County policy experience. She served as Director of Legislative Affairs and Policy on the MCPS SMOB Advisory Council and interned with Montgomery County Board of Education member Lynne Harris and state Del. Lily Qi. She co-led Eco MoCo, a student nonprofit she says has more than 110 members and 40-plus chapters. She was also the youngest member selected to the Maryland Governor's Youth Advisory Council, where she managed $10,000 in grants for 10 youth-led initiatives.

"Education was the pathway that lifted them out of hardships," Wu wrote in her vision statement about her parents, who immigrated from Asia and Europe.

What Wu says she'll push for

Wu's stated priorities include expanding digital mental health tools to address Maryland's counselor-to-student ratio of 362-to-1, well above the recommended 250-to-1. She also plans to advocate for opioid awareness programming in schools, AI use guidelines for students and staff and legislation that would prohibit charging students with financial need certain exam fees.

What's next

The MCPS Board of Education holds its next Board Business Meeting on Thursday at 15 W. Gude Drive in Rockville, where families can engage with local student representation under Dawit's new term. The Maryland State Board of Education's meeting schedule, where Wu will cast her votes, is posted on the Maryland State Department of Education website.