From Redistricting to Representation: How One River Hill Student Found His Voice
Community Connections
By Eileen Wu
In the past, I have mostly covered community events from an adult lens, highlighting ways for adults to get involved in the community. For this month’s issue, I’m focusing on the youth perspective. This article features an exclusive interview with Erin Alistar—a River Hill village resident, a senior at River Hill High School, and the 2025–26 Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) for the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS).
The SMOB is elected annually by HCPSS middle and high school students. The role includes representing the student body at Board of Education meetings and voting on key issues.
Q: Can you briefly introduce yourself?
A: I’m Erin Alistar, the current student member of the Board of Education and a senior at River Hill High School. In my free time, I enjoy reading, running and spending time with friends and family. I’ve been a longtime student advocate and am passionate about educational policy and ensuring student voices are represented in the policymaking process.
Q: Was there a moment or experience that sparked your interest in student leadership?
A: The most defining moment for me was sitting in on redistricting hearings at the Board of Education in third grade. That year’s redistricting was one of the most eventful and wide-ranging redistricting sessions in recent memory. As a third grader, there was almost nothing I could do other than hold up a sign.
The striking thing about redistricting is how passionate people in the community get. It’s one of the few times that you see everyday parents and students testify to the Board of Education with incredible passion. Sometimes policy can feel like just words on paper, but those hearings are where you understand that your actions affect real people.
Q: Why did you decide to run for SMOB? Was there anything you hoped to change or represent?
A: I decided to run for SMOB because I was dissatisfied with the connection between the board and students. My main concern was how I felt that the reality students were experiencing did not match what was being communicated to the board. My goal as SMOB is to facilitate better conversations and create new methods for collecting student input, especially from students who are historically not part of the conversation. That includes visiting schools with board members so they see what students see before voting on policy changes.
Q: What challenges or difficulties did you face while running, and how did you overcome them?
A: Running for the SMOB position was a really incredible opportunity, but also a big responsibility. While I was running, I visited every HCPSS high school and almost all HCPSS middle schools. I really enjoyed the process of meeting students and learning about their concerns, but to make sure that I could reach all schools, I had to keep a very rigorous schedule. Time management became my most essential skill during that period. I had to carefully plan my visits, coordinate with school administrators and ensure I was still keeping up with my academic responsibilities. A big part of the SMOB role is delegating to others and collaborating with schools to spread information, and running for the SMOB position provided me the opportunity to learn how to do that.
Q: What’s something surprising you’ve learned about how decisions are made at the Board of Education?
A: Currently, I have only attended one board meeting, but the most surprising moment for me was the sheer amount of dialogue and communication that is behind every board decision. Board members are always asking questions, suggesting changes, and cooperating to make decisions. Each step in the policymaking process is deliberate and data supported, and the depth of that process has positively surprised me.
Q: How do you stay connected to the student body, ensuring that their voices are represented?
A: One of the biggest tools I use is social media, especially polls on Instagram. I’ve found that the best way to reach students and keep them updated is having a consistent presence on social media. In a recent poll I launched on Instagram, I collected more than 900 responses from students all over the county. I think one of my main objectives this year will be to further strengthen that accessibility.
Q: Other than running for SMOB, what are some ways students can get involved in Board processes?
A: An incredible opportunity is being a member of your school student government or getting involved in HCASC (Howard County Association of Student Councils). I recommend actually being part of both of these organizations. Your school student government will give you the opportunity to understand issues personally and directly see how students are affected. On the other hand, HCASC will show you the bigger picture. Interacting with students from all schools will allow you to understand diverse perspectives and help you in prioritizing where you want to focus your advocacy on. HCASC also usually invites administrators and central office staff to meetings which allows you, in many cases, to offer direct feedback and make your voice heard. If you do decide to come, I’ll most likely be there, so say hello!
Q: How has your role as SMOB shaped your future plans? Do you see yourself staying involved in public service or advocacy?
A: I definitely see myself staying involved in public service. Although I’m not sure in what form that may be, public service has become an integral part of my life and I’m excited to continue being a part of it. I wish more people understood how many different opportunities there are to be involved and make a difference in your community. I highly recommend getting involved!
Q: What would you say to other students who are interested in running for an elected position in their high school or community, but perhaps don’t know where to start?
A: The best way to start is to just do what is most accessible to you. I personally don’t know anyone in elected office that started with a perfect plan and executed it. Getting involved in your community can be very chaotic and random, and often the best opportunities emerge from random spontaneous conversations. So my advice is to do what you are passionate about and be committed to it. Join clubs at your school, go to meetings, talk to people and ask questions. Any action you take to get involved will help you take steps forward.
Eileen Wu is a student at the Bryn Mawr School and is passionate about civic engagement and journalism.
