Caesar Rodney's Sage Sawhney will be the student representative on the Delaware State Board of Education for the 2024-2025 school year.

State board’s new student rep. focus on STEM, mental health 

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Caesar Rodney's Sage Sawhney will be the student representative on the Delaware State Board of Education for the 2024-2025 school year.

Caesar Rodney’s Sage Sawhney will be the student representative on the Delaware State Board of Education for the 2024-2025 school year.

Caesar Rodney High School senior Sage Sawhney has always had a passion for service and promoting student well-being, and he hopes to carry that into a new position at the state level. 

Sawhney thought he had no shot being selected among a pool of nearly 50 applicants to be the lone student representative on the Delaware State Board of Education.

But nearly a month after he applied for the position, Sawhney was in the car with his mother in June when he got the news of his appointment.

“It was astonishing and very exciting to hear,” he said. “We were just kind of starstruck because it’s a very exciting opportunity, and I wasn’t counting on getting it.”

The application process included basic demographic information like grade and school, test scores and grades, a few short answer questions including an explanation of community passions and motivation sources, and teacher recommendations. 

Goals for board

“I applied because I want to represent student voices in the decision-making process,” Sawhney said. “My overall goal is to advocate for policies that enhance academic opportunities and promote student well-being, particularly around STEM education and mental health resources.”

While he hasn’t had any state government experience, Sawhney has plenty of leadership experiences. 

“We need students and educators to be at the table when we are making important decisions about Delaware schools,” said Gov. John Carney. “I want to thank Sage for taking on this role and sharing his perspective on behalf of Delawareans.”

Sawhney serves as chapter president of the international mathematics honor society Mu Alpha Theta, which has more than two thousand international chapters – and he’s the varsity tennis captain. 

He’s also an active volunteer, teaching and mentoring in several community organizations, including a senior SAT tutor with Schoolhouse through Khan Academy. 

“The Delaware State Board of Education values student voice and we welcome Sage and look forward to hearing his perspective about public education in Delaware,” said Shawn Brittingham, president of the Delaware State Board of Education. 

Sawhney also helped establish the PEER tutoring program in collaboration with University of Delaware.

But that’s not all – he is on the junior advisory board of the Hope Medical Dental Clinic and the Youth Philanthropy Board for Kent County.

His dream is to study medicine at a premier university in the Northeast. 

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