Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) announced Friday it has selected Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School student Hannah Said to serve as the next student member of the Metro Nashville Board of Education, placing a student who has pledged a “deep commitment to social justice” in a prominent advisory role on the district’s governing body.
She succeeds Hannah Nguyen, who graduated from John Overton High School in May.
“I hope these next two years as a student school board member reflect my deep commitment to social justice and the progress I hope to achieve,” Said said in a statement released by MNPS.
Board Member Cheryl Mayes, who led the selection committee, said members were “particularly impressed” by Said’s “passion for advocacy, her desire to connect with students from all backgrounds, and her thoughtful plan to elevate student voices and address issues impacting underserved populations.”
Said (pictured above), a rising junior, will serve alongside current student board member Ava Dakash, a rising senior at Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Magnet High School and aspiring attorney.
The two students will represent the school district’s approximately 80,000 students during the 2026-27 school year.
The pairing means that both student representatives come to the position with backgrounds in advocacy and activism, as publicly available social media activity associated with Dakash has highlighted causes including support for Palestine, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as criticism of immigration enforcement policies, gun rights, the Trump administration, and other legislative efforts by Tennessee Republican lawmakers.
MNPS said student board members hold non-voting positions but can weigh in during Board discussions and debates.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
