Arabia Mountain HS student joining Student Advisory Council this fall

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - When you're young, it can feel like everyone makes decisions for and about you.

The state's Student Advisory Council aims to "give voice" to Georgia's youngest citizens. DeKalb County's sole student representative for the state's superintendent's Student Advisory Council isn't afraid to share her peers' concerns.

"I'm part of the National Honor Society, National Society of Black Engineers, I'm an Arabia Mountain Ambassador," Miracle Harvey listed.

That's not even all of what the Arabia Mountain student has on her plate.

"I got to meetings Monday through Thursday, so it's easy to forget," she laughed.

The junior will soon add another commitment to her calendar.

In November, she and 68 other students will pile in to the State Board of Education as part of Georgia School Superintendent Richard Wood's Student Advisory Council.

"That means I'm going to be gap between DeKalb students in things they want or have questions or concerns about," she said.

Hundreds of high performing student leaders applied for the role. Miracle doesn't take the responsibility lightly.

"Mental health is one of the main things I want to bring," Harvey said. 

She quickly riddled off topics she hopes to get on state leaders' radar.

In addition to overall student wellbeing, she wants to increase opportunities to learn outside the classroom, and help low income students.

"When I had field trips, I received an internship, or talk to colleges or more of what I want to do," she continued. "Sometimes we don't know about what people are dealing with when they go home."

The council will meet four times over the next year and Miracle will have to master that balancing act between, robo-building, academics, and advocacy, but she says she just the student to do it.

Miracle says she wants a future in biomedical engineering by way of Spelman, Emory UGA or A&T. 

The first student advisory meeting is Nov. 9.