MVHS Student Rep to the Fairfax County Board Honored with Reception

Eugene James Coleman III, EJ for short, was honored with a grand reception Sunday afternoon to celebrate his election to the Fairfax County School Board as the 2011-2012 student representative.

Coleman is the the first student in the history of Mount Vernon High School to win the appointment, which was awarded to one student this year. Coleman, who was named , is genuinely excited about his new responsibility.

“I want to make a difference in the school system,” he said. “I’d like to see more student involvement in what’s going on with the school system.”

Coleman is very involved at MVHS having served as class president, a member of several academic honor societies, the Black Student Achievement Council and Battalion commander of Marine Corps JROTC among others. He was also elected Governor of this year’s Boy’s State and hopes to run for President at Boy’s Nation. He says he welcomes the responsibility of this new role and hopes his example of involvement will let people know that high school students don’t always deserve a bad reputation.

“If that’s all we keep hearing, that’s all we’ll live,” Coleman said.

Sunday’s reception featured delicious food, kind words, even notes of encouragement lovingly penned by family and friends who attended.

Coleman said it was very moving.

“It means a lot to me, I’m excited and a little overwhelmed,” he said.

As student rep to the board, Coleman won’t have voting power, but he’ll be encouraged to attend each meeting and speak his mind.  MVHS Principal Nardos King said she knows he’ll do great things.

“I’m just overly proud,” she said. “He’s such a genuine person, he’s the type of kid that every mom would want her child to grow up to be.”

Coleman hopes to go into politics later in life and he encourages his fellow students to take advantage of their school years by really being a part of something.

“Get involved,” he advised. “Find one thing you really like to do and immerse yourself in it.”