News - Montgomery College, MD -

News Release

Date: July 8, 2008
Media Contact: Elizabeth Homan, 240-567-7970; Steve Simon, 240-567-7952

Student Appointed to Montgomery College Board of Trustees
Student Gabriel J. Spiro Named to One-Year Post

EDITORS: For a high resolution image to accompany the release, click on this link: gabrielspiro.jpg.

Montgomery College student Gabriel J. Spiro, 20, has been appointed to serve a one-year term as the student representative on the community college’s Board of Trustees. Spiro, who attends the Germantown Campus, fills the seat formerly held by Cristian Barrera, whose term as student trustee expired on July 1.

A native of Romania, Spiro moved to the United States after being adopted at age three. His parents home-schooled him throughout grade school and high school. In the fall of 2005, Spiro started at Montgomery College through its Early Placement Program. His career goal is to teach history or government at a high school or community college. After completing his education at Montgomery College, Spiro plans to transfer to the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), where he would double major in political science and history.

A resident of Montgomery Village, Spiro has grown into a student leader at the College and in the community. His campus involvement includes the Debate Club, the First Year Experience Student Ambassadors and the Student Disciplinary Committee. He helped organize an International Night to celebrate the diversity of the campus student body. In addition, he served on the Germantown Campus Student Senate in 2006 and 2007. He will lead the student organization as its president this fall.

Spiro has attended various leadership classes and conferences locally and regionally. He also received the Junior Fire Brigade of the Year award in 2004 from the Gaithersburg Washington Grove Volunteer Fire Department, where he volunteered until October 2007.

Members of the Montgomery College Board of Trustees, who are appointed by the Governor of Maryland, exercise general oversight for the College and are empowered to establish policies for implementing the College’s mission.

The Board’s responsibilities include setting the salaries and tenure requirements for the College president, faculty, and other employees of the College, as well as establishing entrance requirements, course offerings and tuition rates. Members serve six-year terms, with the exception of the student member, who serves for one year.

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Montgomery College is a public, open admissions community college with campuses in Germantown, Rockville, and Takoma Park/Silver Spring, plus workforce development/continuing education centers and off-site programs throughout Montgomery County, Md. The College serves nearly 60,000 students a year, through both credit and noncredit programs, in more than 100 areas of study.

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