Fourth Grade Student Named Junior Mayor of Gaithersburg

From the City of Gaithersburg: Out of more than 100 entries submitted by resident 4th graders in the City of Gaithersburg, Purani Kannan of Diamond Elementary School has been selected as Gaithersburg’s next Junior Mayor. Her first appearance will be at the State of the City Address on April 13, where the gavel will be passed by current Junior Mayor Srinidhi Guruvayurappan, also of Diamond Elementary School. Purani will be officially introduced to the public at the Mayor and City Council meeting on May 1.

The “If I Were Mayor…” contest, sponsored statewide by the Maryland Municipal League (MML), the Maryland Mayors’ Association and the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Company, invites fourth grade students to submit essays describing what they would do as Mayor. This year students were asked to explore concepts of inclusion as they considered programs and services for a new community center.

While essays from Gaithersburg students can also be submitted to MML for consideration in its statewide contest, they were independently reviewed by members of the Gaithersburg Educational Enrichment Committee for consideration as Gaithersburg’s Junior Mayor. Five finalists were invited to City Hall for a videotaped panel interview. Purani was selected as the winner.

When asked during her interview what the word “inclusion” meant to her, she shared that she feels all people need to be involved in planning and decision making, and she didn’t want to see anyone left out. In her essay, Purani said that “a feeling of belongingness paves the way for a happy community,” and her community center would have nursing rooms for moms, a child and pet care center, a prayer room, and walking trails with benches, among many other amenities.

The Junior Mayor will be invited to join Mayor Jud Ashman and members of the City Council at public ceremonies and events throughout the year. She will also have the opportunity to host a community service project at her school, in which the Mayor and City Council will participate. Her winning essay is posted on the City’s website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov. For more information on the Junior Mayor program contact Gaithersburg’s Community Services Division at 301-258-6395.

Photo courtesy of the City of Gaithersburg