PERRY HALL, MD— Three Baltimore County Public Schools students represent the county on the 25-member 2021-2022 Student Focus Group for the Maryland Center for School Safety.

The students are:

• Claire Cabral, a Grade 10 student at Hereford High School, and First Vice President of Baltimore County Student Councils
• Panagiolis Fafalios, a Grade 12 student at Dundalk High School and Sollers Point Technical High School
• Roah Hassan, a Grade 11 student at Perry Hall High School

According to the Maryland Center for School Safety, the Student Focus Group was created in partnership with the Maryland Association of Student Councils, to support the center’s Advisory Board.

The center wrote, “Students will serve as an informed voice representing the perspectives of their county/city as it pertains to school safety, devising marketing tactics to reach students, surveying their county on important issues, and acting as a pilot group for new initiatives.”

Nearly 100 students applied to serve on the focus group. The selection process included reviewing student applications, essays, and character references, and a final interview with members of the Student Focus Group selection committee.

In a blog post, the Maryland Center for School Safety wrote, “These young adults are about to embark on a journey that will include learning more about the diversity of current school and student safety-related topics important to communities across the state and around the country, developing government relations and leadership skills, and gaining exposure to the inner workings of important state agencies and boards.”