Board of Ed Rep Raises Student Voice

The South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education has a new student representative. Jonah Wolff, Columbia High School Class of 2013, held the non-voting position for two years before ceding his seat to rising junior Maggie Kritzberg. Kritzberg won the two-year position in a student election and spoke to Patch about the work ahead.

Welcome, Maggie! Can you tell the community a little about yourself?

I have lived in South Orange my whole life, and I have a strong attachment to the community. I have gone through the entire South Orange-Maplewood school system from South Mountain, to South Orange Middle School, and I am now going into my junior year at Columbia High School.

How did you become aware of this position? What led you to pursue it?

I became aware of the position in school, where I heard that the student representative at the time, Jonah Wolff, would be graduating this year, and I knew that the position would be open. I had been very interested in the different issues concerning the school (mainly Columbia) and those that the Board was dealing with. I was just very excited about the opportunity, and I decided to go for it. There were (and of course, still are) so many topics being discussed and tackled by the Board, and I thought it would be great to get involved.

What impact do you hope to make on the Board of Education discussions?

I hope to make sure that the student voice is acknowledged and understood, so that the Board can make the best decisions possible for our schools. As our schools continue to improve, it’s important the students not only understand issues that will affect them, but that the board understands what the students are thinking, and I want to be a part of communicating that.

When you're not at the Board of Education, what CHS activities do you pursue?

I play violin, and I have played in Columbia’s chamber orchestra and regular orchestra. I also play soccer for the school, and I have also been an Achieve tutor for two years at South Orange Middle School. I have also participated in Relay for Life for the past two years.  

You're a rising junior, so the future is coming up quickly. What do you hope to do after CHS?

Well, first college, and at this point, I’m very interested in politics and law.