Two Stephens County Students selected to be on State Student Advisory Council

Two Stephens County High School students – sophomore Landon Powell and senior Kathryn Oldham – are among 69 students statewide that will serve on Georgia State School Superintendent Dr. Richard Woods’ 2023-2024 Student Advisory Council. 

According to Woods, Oldham, Powell and the other council members will meet with Woods to provide feedback on the impact of state policies in the classroom. Members of the Student Advisory Council will also discuss other education-related issues, serve as the Superintendent’s ambassadors to their respective schools, and participate in service projects to benefit schools and students.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, Woods stated, “Georgia’s public schools exist to serve students, and it is absolutely essential that we receive feedback directly from those directly affected by statewide policies.”

The application process includes short essay prompts that allow students to share their ideas for public education – these essays form a significant portion of the selection process.

Because GaDOE works to ensure the council is representative of students in all regions of the state and selects students based on the strength of their essay answers, in some cases, multiple students from a district may be selected.

The first 2023-2024 Student Advisory Council meeting will be at the Georgia Department of Education’s offices in November. Selected students will receive details via email.

The council includes at least four students from every Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) region in Georgia; students represent rural, suburban, and urban schools. 

Other than Oldham and Powell, other RESA region students chosen for the 2023-24 Student Advisory Council include Rabun County High School Junior George Anderson and Hart County High School Senior Dakota Phillips. 

WNEG News will be contacting Oldham and Powell to sit down and talk about their essays, their expectations, and how this experience will impact their lives and future career choices.