Maryville students prepare to represent classmates on school board

Maryville students prepare to represent classmates on school board

The Daily Times

July 20, 2026

By: Mathaus Schwarzen

Caroline Carver wants to get more students excited about coming to school. Andrew Gao wants to give back to the school system that helped him learn English after moving from China. This year, the two Maryville High School seniors will have the opportunity to do both as the Maryville City School Board’s student representatives.

The positions don’t hold any voting power — but they do serve as a window into the opinions of the student body for a set of school board members years out from their own high school experiences. School staff said the two students will rotate who sits with the board at its monthly meetings, providing input as required.

Gao and Carver were officially approved by a board vote in May.

Julie Elder, chair of the Maryville School Board, told The Daily Times that the board welcomes its new student representatives. She’s grateful to both for their willingness to serve and commitment to representing the voices of Maryville City Schools students.

“We value student perspectives and believe it’s important to hear their voices before making decisions that directly impact them,” Elder said in a statement. “Our previous student members provided invaluable insight as we discussed high school expansion plans, budget priorities and initiatives to strengthen pride across our school system.”

School spirit

School pride is actually something Carver said she wants to work on. Sitting next to Gao in an interview with The Daily Times, she said she’s saddened that some of her friends don’t care for school as much as she does.

She described some high schoolers as “too cool for school.”

“I know that sounds so cheesy, but I get excited to go to school, and it makes me sad that none of my friends are,” she said.

“How do we get people excited?” she continued. “Because our teachers care about us so deeply. Our admin people in the district office care about us so deeply. I just want a way to boost morale.”

Carver, who serves as an officer in the National Honor Society, views her role alongside Gao as the “glue” between students and the school board. She’s a lifetime Maryville resident who grew up around Elder, and she credits her association with the longtime board member as part of her inspiration to serve.

Giving back

She and Gao are both athletes. Both have decided not to play their senior years to focus on other priorities. In Gao’s case, he’s looking toward a career in dentistry — but not before giving back in his final year at Maryville High School.

Gao, who joined Maryville City Schools at the age of nine, said he’s grateful for the district’s English as a Second Language instruction. He has fond memories of the school system, both as a student and as a member of the football team.

“The teachers were great. They were willing to help me when I moved here,” he said. “And then all through high school, I met great people, great friends, great teammates and then just teachers and coaches. Everybody was really great.”

Gao, who’s also a National Honor Society member and an officer with the Key Club, said he views his role as an in-between, trying to find common ground for students and board members alike. He knows what it’s like to rely on the school system to learn, and now he’ll be representing his fellow students to the school board.

This is now the second year Maryville has welcomed student representatives to the board. Both Gao and Carver went through an application process, writing out their thoughts on the role before being reviewed and interviewed by Assistant Director of Schools Josh Oliver and Special Programs Coordinator Maria Greene.

Both students listed football games as a favorite memory of their time at Maryville. Gao will always remember rivalry games with nearby Alcoa City Schools. Carver loves the school spirit.

“You’re supporting your classmates,” she said. “I have a Spanish class with a football guy beside me on Friday, and then four hours later, he’s tackling a guy on the field.”