NASHVILLE — Hannah Said, a rising junior at Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School, will join the Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education as a non-voting student member for the 2026–27 academic year. She will attend her first Board meeting in September.

Said will represent the district's 80,000 students alongside Ava Dakash, a rising senior at Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Magnet High School. Said will succeed Hannah Nguyen, who graduated from John Overton High School in May, and her term will run until her graduation in 2028.

Cheryl Mayes, a Board of Education member who led the selection committee for the student board position, said, "Her application materials and letters of recommendation were exceptional, and her in-person interview demonstrated maturity, leadership, and a genuine commitment to serving students across Metro Nashville Public Schools." Student board members participate in Board discussions and debates. The Board of Education resumed appointing student members for the 2021-22 school year.

Said held leadership roles in multiple student and city organizations during her first two years of high school and founded an after-school program. Said said, "I commend the time and effort the Board has dedicated to inspiring youth advocacy within schools, and I take deep pride and honor in being that voice." She added, "I hope these next two years as a student school board member reflect my deep commitment to social justice and the progress I hope to achieve." Mayes said, "The committee was particularly impressed by her passion for advocacy, her desire to connect with students from all backgrounds, and her thoughtful plan to elevate student voices and address issues impacting underserved populations."