On Dec. 3, students gathered as the Young Democrats and Teenage Republicans hosted Fairfax County School Board member Ilryong Moon. The event aimed to give students a direct opportunity to hear from an official involved in decisions that affect daily school life.
The officers of the Young Democrats and Teenage Republicans turned to a local leader whose work directly affects Jefferson students. They contacted Moon, whom the club had not previously hosted.
“One big thing that we try to do this year is bring in political speakers from a variety of different ideological lenses,” senior and President of Young Democrats and Teenage Republicans Sam Stankiewicz said. “Moon is the member at large for the Fairfax County School Board. We just cold emailed him. Thankfully, he was generous enough to volunteer his time for us.”
Moon’s local role made him a good resource for students to learn about how Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) makes decisions.
“We’re really excited to get someone in local politics who can talk about the issues that matter to Jefferson,” Stankiewicz said. “The people that affect your life the most are on the school board, so if you want to talk to someone who really makes a daily impact in your life, the best thing you can do is talk to someone on the school board.”
The event also helped students understand the responsibilities of the school board that are often unclear to high schoolers.
“I think it was a very good event,” sophomore Aayan Pothiraj said. “I think a lot of people in Jefferson don’t actually know what the school board does. It [was] very insightful to see his point of view upon the many issues we have.”
The discussion also showed students how local officials, such as Moon, shape their policy.
“Being able to [raise] awareness and [see] that the school board members are actually taking in student opinion is great,” sophomore Alex Cordova said.
The Young Democrats and Teenage Republicans plan to continue bringing speakers from various political backgrounds to encourage civic engagement from students.
“Our main purpose is to promote civil discourse among students,” Stankiewicz said. “We bring in people from a variety of different political perspectives. Representative James Walkinshaw is going to come later in the year, and we’re excited to host him.”