What is HCASC?

The Howard County Association of Student Councils, more commonly known as HCASC, brings together students across the school system to talk about leadership and government in HCPSS. HCASC strives to empower students with skills and opportunities to engage with and lead their schools and communities.

Who is Eligible to Join HCASC?

HCASC is open to all middle and high school students.

Why Should I Join HCASC?

By joining HCASC, you will have the opportunity to:

• learn leadership skills and best practices
• meet and work with student leaders from across HCPSS
• discuss current events impacting HCPSS students
• provide feedback and insight on HCPSS policy
• share your ideas directly with the Student Member of the Board of Education SMOB) and other HCPSS leaders
• represent your school at the student-run convention to elect the SMOB
• explore ways to make a difference in your school and community
• engage with community leaders
• have fun!

Here are some quotes from students that are in HCASC:

• Chris- 12th grade- “HCASC has taught me countless valuable lessons about becoming a student leader, uplifting the voices of all HCPSS students, and collaboration. Without HCASC, I would have never met such wonderful individuals from across the county and may not have put myself out into the community as much as I do now!”

• Kayla- 12th grade- “Through HCASC, I have been able to connect with people around the county and learn their opinions/views. It has allowed me to become part of a larger community in Howard County and be informed on issues at other schools that I did not know existed.”

• Iris- 12th grade- “I learned a lot about managing and leading a group, and how to create visions and directions for projects. I became more aware of community happenings and how to get involved.”

• Shreeya- 10th grade- “I have learned how involved students can actually become in making decisions for the school system, and it has really made me more involved in my community”

• Matthew- 8th grade- “HCASC allowed me to be well-informed and involved in my community. It makes me happy to know that students in the Howard County have a voice.”

• Maliyah- 7th grade- “Through HCASC I became an SGA member- that is how they shaped me”

How Can I Get Involved?

HCASC hosts monthly, student-run general assemblies the second Wednesday of every month. In addition to reports and updates from current HCASC members, meetings include leadership training, guest speakers, and/or student forums where students can come together to share best practices and discuss current school and community issues. Be sure to RSVP to attend our general assemblies!

How Can I Apply For An Appointed Staff Position?

Apply online.

Where Can I Get More Information?

Interested in learning more about HCASC? Contact Kori Jones, HCASC's advisor, or members of the HCASC officers (listed below). You can also contact your school principal for information on leadership opportunities at your school.

HCASC Officer Team 2025-2026

Gavin Falcón, President, hcascpresident@gmail.com Gavin Falcón is a junior at Long Reach High School, where he serves as both the Class of 2027 and the school-wide SGA’s Vice-President. He has been involved in student leadership for the past six years, with all of them being with HCASC,  and is passionate about amplifying student voices across Howard County, building community, and promoting safe school environments. Outside of student government, he enjoys lacrosse, martial arts, speech & debate, and staying active. Gavin loves meeting new people and attending community events

Angela Huang , First Vice President, hcascvicepresident@gmail.com Angela Huang is a senior at Centennial High School. She has been in HCASC for 5 years and has served in the Public Relations committee as well as Corresponding Secretary on the officer team. She is passionate about community service and leadership and holds various leadership positions as well as holding hundreds of service hours. Angela has served in her school, county, state, and national SGA and is in charge of her international non-profit. She likes to learn about new things and visit new places.

Samiksh Chaudhary, Second Vice President, hcascsecondvicepresident@gmail.com Samiksh Chaudhary is a 7th grader at Clarksville Middle School with a strong commitment to student voice and advocacy. For the past two years, he has been actively involved in leadership, previously serving on the Legislative Affairs Committee, his school’s SGA executive board, and as a SMOB convention delegate. Beyond leadership, Samiksh is a member of the debate club, Science Olympiad team, and academic club. In his free time, he enjoys creating art, playing guitar, and playing basketball.

Riddhi Mittal, Corresponding Secretary, hcascsecretary@gmail.com Riddhi Mittal is a sophomore at River Hill High School who enjoys being involved in school through her position as class president, multiple clubs, and sports. She has been involved in HCASC for over 4 years as an Appointed Staff member. In her free time, you can find her volunteering, traveling, staying active, or hanging out with friends and family. Through HCASC, Riddhi hopes to get more students involved in leadership and ensure representation from all of the Howard County middle and high schools.

Grace Castleberry, Recording Secretary, hcasc.recordingsec@gmail.com

Sakshi Tirodkar, Chief of Staff, chiefofstaffhcasc@gmail.com Sakshi Tirodkar is a senior at Long Reach High School. She has been involved with student voice since middle school, and specifically in HCASC, she has been an appointed staff member in the school representation and election coordinating committees as well as Deputy Chief of Staff last year. On top of HCASC, she is involved in class council and is president of SGA at Long Reach. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, baking, spending time with friends, and singing.

Anika Verma, Deputy Chief of Staff, deputychiefofstaff@gmail.com Anika Verma is a junior at Howard High School. She has been involved in HCASC since 6th grade starting out by serving on the STEM Committee and then chairing the STEM Committee for the past two years. Besides HCASC Anika has active leadership roles in Girl Scouts and several school clubs.

Hemant Kantheti, Parliamentarian,  Hemant Kantheti is a sophomore at Howard High School, where he stays involved through student government, various clubs, and sports. Hemant has been involved with student leadership for the past 4 years, as an appointed staff committee chair, and leadership groups across Howard County. In his freetime, Hemant enjoys playing tennis, hanging out with friends, and traveling.

 

Kori Jones, Advisor,  Kori_Jones@hcpss.org

HCASC Appointed Staff

Student Experience Committee
The Student Experience Committee is a newly created committee that focuses on amplifying student voices in areas that students are passionate about. This committee promotes student-related activities and experiences, reaches out to school clubs and community groups with related goals, and brings ideas and concerns from county-wide groups back to HCASC and the Student Member.  The committee will contain various subcommittees,  including public relations, arts, health/social issues, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Mentorship Committee
The Mentorship Committee connects middle and high school students through a mentorship program so they can share advice, tips, and next steps. This committee also seeks to ensure that students in Howard County have the necessary skills, such as resume-building and effective email drafting, to succeed and pursue their passions.

Legislative Affairs Committee
The Legislative Affairs Committee (LAC) seeks to empower HCASC and all Howard County students to understand the advocacy process at all levels of government. The LAC assists in developing official HCASC committee stances relating to policies and legislation pertinent to youth and education. The Legislative Affairs Committee will also be responsible for creating “policy summaries” that explain to students what the policy means and its impacts on the school system. Finally, the Legislative Affairs Committee will be responsible for coaching policy review students and giving them an overview of the process.

Environmental Affairs Committee
The Environmental Affairs Committee (EAC) engages with environmental issues and builds relationships with school clubs and community groups to promote environmental-related activities and opportunities for HCASC. They also maintain a monthly newsletter to spread environmental awareness and provide service opportunities for students. This committee also collects feedback from HCPSS students and community organizations to pursue environmental related projects.

Election Coordinating Committee
The Election Coordinating Committee (ECC) coordinates the general and special elections for HCASC. ECC takes the lead in planning for Delegate Training and the SMOB Convention, with the chairperson serving as Convention Director. They work in conjunction with the Officer Team and Mrs. Drummond in planning and promoting the process of electing the Student Member of the Board for the next school year.

STEM Committee
The STEM Committee fosters a system to promote STEM-related activities and opportunities, reaches out to school clubs and community groups to promote STEM-related activities and opportunities, bringing ideas and concerns from county-wide groups back to HCASC and the Student Member.