In a close election, Praneel Suvarna of Clarksburg HS was elected as MCPS’s next SMOB over finalist Sam Ross of Montgomery Blair HS. On April 17, 58,927 middle and high school students across the county voted, with Suvarna winning 53 percent of the student vote. 

“I would like to congratulate both candidates for running a genuine and honest campaign on both their parts…I think both [candidates] did a really good job of actually trying to listen to what students wanted to see and incorporating that,” RM senior and current SMOB Sami Saeed said. 

This vote was significantly closer than last year when Saeed earned 70 percent over his counterpart. Saeed will remain in his position until Suvarna’s term officially begins on July 1, 2024. 

Suvarna started his SMOB campaign in the 2022-2023 school year, where he just barely missed out on becoming a finalist. This opportunity gave Suvarna a lot of experience, and he became the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association Vice President for the 2023-2024 school year. Suvarna has also served as Clarksburg High School’s junior class president. 

“I think Praneel is a really great representative of the students and I also think that his tenacity and his wisdom that he’s gained has shown throughout his time as MCR vice president will be invaluable during his time as SMOB,” senior and MCR’s Director of Advocacy Initiatives Angelina Xu said. 

Suvarna has close ties to Richard Montgomery, beginning his career in student government as the RM freshman class president during the 2021-2022 school year. 

The SMOB-elect utilized his social media accounts, particularly Instagram, to build a strong online presence and increase student engagement throughout the county. He also visited several middle and high schools to receive direct feedback from students on changes they would like to see implemented during his term. 

Suvarna’s Instagram account currently boasts over 5,000 followers. Throughout his campaign, he posted a variety of reels and infographics promoting his platform and credentials. He included content in Spanish and Amharic. 

During his term as SMOB, Suvarna hopes to promote school safety, improve inclusivity for LGBTQ+ students and increase mental health resources for all students including middle and elementary students. He also wants to expand course choice and foreign language options and increase involvement in student government organizations. Along with these policies, he’s focused on creating a more environmentally sustainable MCPS. 

“I really do wish Praneel luck in being prepared to navigate being part of the Board, because we really want to see change happen,” Saeed said. “I have a lot of faith in him.”

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Shelby Roth, Ellie Noh, Ari Fine, Riona Sheikh, Christiana Vucea, Mayah Nachman, Amanda Gershoni and Ava Smith contributed to this article.