 The newest non-voting student member of the Kentucky Board of Education, Harper Blake of Marion County High School, stands in front of a mural of Kentucky she helped paint at her school. Photo courtesy of Harper Blake
(LEBANON, KY) – Harper Blake, a junior at Marion County High School, is the newest non-voting student member of the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE).
Blake said she had amazing teachers who helped her get the application together, including providing letters of recommendation, and it’s an honor to be named to the role.
“I just thought it was a great opportunity, and I thought it was amazing that our state gives these opportunities to students,” she said.
Blake is the fifth student member in the board’s history. She follows Preston Graham of Woodford County, R.J. Osborne of Whitley County, Joud Daleh of Boone County and Solyana Mesfin of Jefferson County.
Blake said she likes to push herself by taking advanced courses and participating in several extracurriculars.
“I really love school, and I just think that it’s a great opportunity whenever we have challenging classes, so I try and take them,” she said.
David Hibbard is a social studies teacher at Marion County High School and an educator with 33 years of experience. Blake was in his AP U.S. Government class and AP European History in the same year last year, which he said speaks to her commitment to challenging herself academically.
Blake was also part of the high school’s state champion mock trial team this past school year, which Hibbard coached.
Blake said she was encouraged to join the team by some of her friends as well as her older brother, who had been on the team for years. She said she served as an understudy to some of the upperclassmen until the national championship, where she got to play the role of a witness during the week-long competition.
“It was really great to be able to step up and actually be a part of the national team, and I feel like that really prepared me for next year,” she said. “I’m really excited.”
Hibbard said Blake handled the role well.
“That just requires thinking on your feet, performance under pressure, and so Harper did a great job with that at our national competition,” Hibbard said.
Hibbard said he values the conversations he has had with Blake during their classes and the extracurriculars she participates in and believes she will be a great addition to the KBE.
“Harper is an outstanding young lady,” he said. “And one of the things I appreciate is that she's very thoughtful about her approach to whatever it is, so I think she's going to be a great fit for this position because she thinks about issues.”
Blake also participated in the Kentucky Governor’s Cup, writing essays on different subject matters, including research on adversity those with disabilities face. Blake said she can bring that perspective to the board as well as the perspective of a student who comes from a rural area.
Blake said she also looks forward to simply being in the room with KBE members as they work.
“I thought that being in the room and being able to be with so many people that have such authority in our government … I thought just even being present – even if I'm a non-voting member – just being present and being able to see the way that we do things and the process of everything would be a great learning experience for myself,” she said.
Blake also participates in Marion County’s Beta Club, the high school’s Quiz Bowl team and the high school’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter.
Blake’s term as the non-voting student KBE member began July 1 and will run until June 30, 2026
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