Dundalk High Student Among Three Finalists for BCPS Board Member


This year will be the first time that BCPS secondary students will be able to select their new student member for the Board of Education of Baltimore County. Each year, a student member serves on the BCPS Board of Education for a one-year term, but this will be the first election.

One of the three students on the ballot is Joshua Muhumuza of Dundalk High School. Muhumuza is a junior and is a member of the Dundalk school’s National Honor Society, Student Government Association and Homeland Security Program. Muhumuza has participated in the school’s debate team, AVID program, soccer team, Model Congress and Model U.N. programs.

He also serves as the southwestern representative for the Baltimore County Student Councils and a member of its infrastructure committee. Outside of school, he tutors with his church, serves as a volunteer soccer coach at Dundalk Middle School and is a senior patrol leader with the Boy Scouts of America.

He is running against Rosalind Marfo of Franklin High School and Vinay Khosla of Dulaney High School.

Marfo participates in a variety of community service activities, such as Baltimore City’s annual Day of Hope, and volunteers at homeless services providers such as Beans & Bread. As a member of Franklin’s mock trial team, Marfo says the most powerful way to show solidarity and affect change is through the law. Her participation in Franklin’s Student Government Association is an outgrowth of her respect for the law and the process of legislation.

Khosla is also a junior and has served on the Baltimore County Student Council’s General Services Committee. That is where he has advocated for an increased variety of vegetarian lunch options and voiced student concerns over the use of school devices and technology. He is PTSA liaison for Dulaney’s Student Government Organization and varsity captain for the Lion’s cross country and track and field teams. He participates in Future Business Leaders of America and Model United Nations as well.

Middle and high school students will cast online ballots on Thursday, March 12, for either Khosla, Marfo or Muhumuza. Each of the candidates, who were among five finalists, was chosen Feb. 5 following interviews with a panel consisting of students and administrators.

The student receiving the most votes on March 12 will be recommended for appointment to the governor, who annually appoints a student member to the Board for a one-year term.

For the past four years, student Board member candidates were vetted and voted upon during a special convention with student representatives and council leaders. Prior to 2016, student members were chosen and recommended by a committee of BCPS educators, staff, and student leaders.

This year, the application process was expanded to allow and encourage participation from all BCPS middle and high school students. Videotaped speeches from each of the three candidates will be available from Monday, Feb. 24, to Wednesday, Feb. 26, both online on the BCPSOne platform and in selected classes throughout the county. That will be followed by a videotaped question-and-answer session for the three candidates to be viewed online by students on Tuesday, March 10, and Wednesday, March 11.

Student voting will take place online from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on March 12.