According to Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS) Principal Reginald McNeill, it is exciting to see graduates Raaheela Ahmed, David Murray and Joshua Thomas in important leadership positions, that of serving on the Board of Education for Prince George’s County Public Schools. He remembered that during their time at ERHS they distinguished themselves as prominent leaders, able to get students to see things differently in new and positive ways.
All three board members credit their ERHS experience for, as said by Ahmed, “laying the foundation for public service.” Ahmed is from the class of 2011 and was elected to the board in 2016. She first ran in 2012 at age 18, while a student at the University of Maryland. She represents District 5, where many ERHS students reside. While at ERHS, Ahmed said she “broke out of her shell” and had her “first true leadership experience.” Beginning by joining the rugby team in 10th grade, Ahmed went on to become president of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and the Do Something Club, which she founded in 11th grade. In 12th grade, she served as president of the National Honor Society. Her experience as a science and tech student helped to provide her with strategic and deductive thinking skills, often useful in board decision-making. This especially has aided her in the challenges inherent in the implementation of a $2 billion budget.
Murray, class of 2010, was also in the science and tech program and was elected in 2016, representing District 1. He said that “the support network and feedback from my former classmates, teachers and administrators has helped me make better decisions as a school board member.” Murray stated that “ERHS is a special place to me, and in my opinion one of the best schools in the entire country. I really grew into the person I am today.” He credited his experience in student government and as the student member on the Maryland State Board of Education, as well as participation in athletics and his academic demands, as instrumental to his seeking public office.
Thomas is from the class of 2010 and was elected in 2018, representing District 2, which includes ERHS. He distinguished himself academically in the science and tech program and participated in Dem Raider Boyz Step Squad. According to an article in the Raider Review, Thomas wants to reduce school overcrowding, improve communication between the school board and its constituents, and improve teacher recruitment/ retention. The article reported that his ERHS English teacher Troy Bradbury felt that Thomas’s teaching experience helps him view issues from a teacher’s perspective. The article cites Jonathon Williams, a campaign assistant, who praised Thomas as driven, with the “lives of students and faculty at heart.” McNeill hopes that all three former students will always carry with them the ERHS values of responsibility, respect, integrity and kindness.
