By Madison Go | Posted December 18, 2024
With goals to bridge communication gaps, increase representation of girls in STEM, and to amplify the voices of Montgomery’s diverse student body, recently-appointed junior Sophia Busch is ready to make her mark as the youngest-ever student representative on the Montgomery Board of Education.
Sophia Busch, MHS Class of 2026, is the new student representative for the Montgomery Board of Education.
Busch’s main responsibility is to communicate high school students’ concerns and achievements to the board of education. Basically, she informs the board of “what’s happening at the high school – what events are important to the students, and what we’re doing in terms of fundraising and student morale.”
Her insider perspective has already given her unique insights into the school’s operations. The board discusses “test scores, student diversity, and things [she] wouldn’t really be finding out about if [she] didn’t have that position… it also allows [her] to better understand the reasoning behind why people could be upset about something.”
Busch balances her role as student rep with the rigorous demands of junior year, such as studying for her AP tests and SATs. She says, “All of that makes it hard to do stuff outside of school, but I like going to school events like football games and pep rallies. “I also like playing video games – that’s mostly what I do when I don’t have to do stuff for school.”
However, her true passion lies in advocating for girls in STEM. As the founder of the Montgomery Women in STEM club, Busch is dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive environment for female students interested in science, technology, engineering, and math. “There’s not a lot of female role models in the STEM industry… a lot of girls at our school don’t even realize what STEM opportunities they have here.”
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Busch is particularly interested in collecting data to understand why female participation in STEM is low, and plans to work with science and math supervisors at the high school to address this issue. After collecting data to build a clear picture of class distribution, such as “how many girls are in College Prep (CP) Chemistry versus Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry,” she can bring a plan of action to the board of education, and can help shape policies and initiatives to address gender disparities in STEM education.
The board has “a lot of open discussions about diversity and how that’s impacting our schools,” she said. “Having a safe space for women in general is something that’s really important.” For now, Busch’s main initiative is building trust between students and the board. “I think a lot of people think that the board is super disconnected from students,” she said. “This position reassures that our voices are going to be heard.” She said it is important to “unite people and help them understand that there are issues outside of your scope that you need to pay attention to.”
