Board Biographies

There are nine members on the D.C. State Board of Education who are directly elected by voters within the District. State Board members’ terms are four years and are staggered so no more than five members are selected in any one election. To learn about our committee assignments, please visit the Committee Assignments page.

 

SY2024–2025 Student Representatives

(From left to right: Ryan Ting, Anna Mayer, Calique Barnes, and Mengting Lin)

Calique Barnes is a senior at Thurgood Marshall Academy. He is a passionate youth advocate, public speaker and youth minister. As Student Body President and youth advocate, Calique collaborates with District officials to create positive change in education and civic engagement. Through his ministry and leadership, Calique empowers youth, fosters spiritual growth and organizes impactful events across Washington, DC. 

Ryan Ting is a senior at BASIS DC. Ryan feels a strong sense of belonging to the city he’s called home his entire life. As the Youth Attorney General and now the Youth Mayor of the DC YMCA Youth and Government Program, Ryan has worked steadfastly to prepare high school students for civic engagement. Outside of political science, Ryan enjoys providing free tutoring to middle schoolers, leading the Programming and Math Clubs at his school, working with a nonprofit, and building his 3D modeling (FreeCAD) and other Engineering skills. Hoping to become an Engineer to invent physical solutions for humanity's biggest problems, Ryan acknowledges the enormous opportunities provided to him in this city and hopes to use them to give back.

Anna Mayer is a senior at School Without Walls High School and a life-long resident of DC. During her term as a Student Representative, Anna hopes to engage both policymakers and the District students to advance student interests and highlight student perspectives. Anna has long been involved in public education activism, co-founding and leading DCPS’ Green New Deal for Schools initiative. Outside of her work in public education, Anna works at a local preschool, knits and explores DC on her bike.

Mengting Lin is a junior at Roosevelt STAY. She is a dedicated student with a strong passion for STEM, particularly excelling in mathematics and finance. She actively participates in the Future Science Scholar Organization, where she helps organize STEM events and debates, inspiring her peers to engage deeper with STEM fields. Her involvement in various writing projects also allows her to explore and communicate important topics related to human rights and education. She is committed to creating for students more opportunities to deepen their understanding of finance and STEM, preparing them for the future.