Ben Moskowitz is a senior at Walter Johnson High School. His experience in student government in elementary school, junior high and high school scored him a seat on the Montgomery County Board of Education. He votes on everything from administrative appointments to student expulsion appeals, though as a student, he has no say on school budget or certain personnel matters. He's giving up 20 hours a week and part of his spring break to fulfill board obligations, but says it's worth it.

Why did you pursue a seat on the school board?

I spent a lot of time in student government through my years in school but I found that a lot of the issues I wanted to deal with were more at the county level than the individual school level. I wanted to be able to review policies that apply to all schools, not just the one school I attended.

How much of your time goes to school board responsibilities?

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I see it like a part-time job - there are about 20 hours a week outside of school that I spend on things like board sessions and meetings of the policy and communication committees. I also spend a good deal of time speaking with staff members, students, community members and other school system employees so I can have more of an informed decision at the table.

Are there any areas where you feel like having a student adds a unique perspective to board discussions?

Sure, on things like how many tests students have to take these days, conditions of school bathrooms and quality of school lunches - these are quality-of-life issues that people don't always think about once they're out of the school system.

How did you spend your spring break?

I just finished working as a page in Annapolis, which was basically running around and bringing coffee to state legislators. Now I'm in Orlando for the national school board association's convention.