(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – Seven Kentucky public high school students have been named to the Commissioner’s Student Council, a group that provides input to Kentucky Commissioner of Education Stephen Pruitt.

The Commissioner’s Student Council is a year-long program for Kentucky public school students in grades 10-12. The council is comprised of a diverse group of students with ideas and thoughtful insight into how public schools and student achievement can be improved.

The newly-selected members will serve at least one year. They include:

  • Anjali Chadha – 11th grade, duPont Manual High School (Jefferson County)
  • Joshua Griffith – 10th grade, Russell High School (Russell Independent)
  • Evelyn Madill – 12th grade, West Jessamine High School (Jessamine County)
  • Anastasia Pohlgeers – 10th grade, Campbell County High School
  • William Powers – 11th grade, Somerset High School (Somerset Independent)
  • Grace Raber – 11th grade, Paducah Tilghman High School (Paducah Independent)
  • Parker Stobaugh – 10th grade, South Warren High School (Warren County)

The seven new members join 15 returning members:

  • Amrit Avula – 12th grade, Bowling Green High School (Bowling Green Independent)
  • Elijah Cooper – 12th grade, Daviess County High School
  • Joselin Cruz – 12th grade, Nelson County High School
  • Devin Davis – 11th grade, Scott County High School
  • Laura Duke – 11th grade, iLEAD Academy/Owen County High School
  • Lillian Lester – 12th grade, Frederick Fraize High School (Cloverport Independent)
  • Shane Lowe – 12th grade, Kentucky School for the Blind/Central High School (Jefferson County)
  • Sahar Mohammadzadeh – 12th grade, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Fayette County)
  • Thomas Patrick – 12th grade, Magoffin County High School
  • Brenden Quirk – 11th grade, Eastern High School (Jefferson County)
  • Kaeli Riggs – 12th grade, Seneca High School (Jefferson County)
  • Carson Sims – 11th grade, Graves County High School
  • Heyna Suit – 12th grade, Fleming County High School
  • Allison Tu – 11th grade, duPont Manual High School (Jefferson County)
  • Lauren Williams – 12th grade, Taylor County High School

The purpose of the council is to provide valuable feedback from Kentucky students and to engage student leaders in learning by doing. The group will meet with Commissioner Pruitt and Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) staff to discuss how decisions made at the state level are affecting public school students throughout Kentucky and provide feedback – from a student perspective – on critical issues impacting Kentucky students and schools.