AAA Honors Montgomery County Student with Outstanding School Safety Patroller of the Year Award

ROCKVILLE, MD (June 18, 2026) - AAA proudly announces that Ahmad Ousmane Kano, a fifth grader at Maryvale Elementary School In Montgomery County has been named as a 2025-2026 AAA Outstanding School Safety Patroller of the Year.

Ahmad was nominated for this honor by his Safety Patrol Advisor, Ms. Angela Hebron and was recently recognized by AAA’s Public and Government Affairs Manager, Ragina Cooper Ali; Maryvale Principal, Olivia K. Bailey, and his advisors for his exemplary leadership qualities.

Like thousands of his peers across the country, Ahmad is committed to keeping his fellow students safe and being a positive role model at his school. He consistently demonstrates leadership qualities and is a responsible and caring leader, who is respected by his peers, advisors and teachers.

“This Patroller demonstrates a calm, decisive leadership style marked by maturity, composure, and a strong sense of responsibility,” stated Ms. Hebron. While Ahmad consistently demonstrates leadership traits, and is described as always responsible and respectful, one particular incident stood out this school year. During a medical emergency at the school, Ahmad immediately took charge by calling 911 and providing the operator with clear, accurate, and vital information. Ahmad’s ability to remain calm under pressure ensured that help was dispatched quickly and effectively. “Ahmad’s quick thinking, confidence, and focus on safety set him apart from others on duty, earning trust from both teammates and those in need,” Hebron stated.

For more than 100 years, the AAA School Safety Patrol has been the world’s largest school-based safety program. Patrollers around the world provide school-aged children with an extra sense of safety and security during the school day’s busiest times: arrival and dismissal. As a peer-to-peer leadership development program, Safety Patrols are trained to recognize safety hazards to ensure a safer school environment. The presence of a AAA School Safety Patroller wearing the familiar belt and badge is a nationally recognized symbol representing NEARLY 680,000 children throughout the country who participate in the program each year.

“Ahmad’s leadership and sound judgment exemplify the values of the AAA School Safety Patrol program,” said Ragina Cooper Ali, Public and Government Affairs Manager for AAA Club Alliance in Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Created to make school children safer while walking to school, the program has grown-up and matured with the times while remaining steadfast to its mission to provide a safer environment and leadership opportunities for millions of school children. The training that patrollers receive instills safety sense beyond street crossings, including bus and car drop-offs, monitoring hallway congestion, and teaching patrollers invaluable leadership skills.

“AAA is proud to support this critical safety program in Maryland and at schools across the country,” Ali added. “We provide these young people with training tools to help make their school safer. We are consistently impressed with the leadership, maturity and initiative demonstrated by these young leaders at their schools."

The leadership values and safety awareness have inspired many former patrollers to pursue admirable careers, including Presidents of the United States, astronauts, governors, Members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, Olympic medalists, and authors, like Diary of a Wimpy Kid author, Jeff Kinney. Many patrollers now serve as educators, executives, and community leaders.

Since 1920, AAA has been providing various equipment and education materials to patrollers, including reflective belts, patrol badges and training resources. The AAA model has been adopted in at least 30 other countries, including England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.