I have had the fortune of meeting many wonderful, inspiring women throughout the course of my admittedly short life. Few, however, have left the same impact on me as Ms. Azra Baig has, and even fewer have left the same impact on South Brunswick schools as she.
I first met Ms. Baig two years ago when I began my service as the elected student representative to the South Brunswick Board of Education (BOE). It is a terrifying experience to walk into a room full of adults, sit down at their big table in the front and attempt to act in a manner one hopes appears is mature and composed. Ms. Baig was one of the first to introduce herself to me, welcoming me with such warmth, kindness and respect that I felt she was not only welcoming me as a student, but as an important and equal peer. I learned quickly that she treated everyone this way; to her, everyone had a voice important enough not only to be heard, but to be listened to.
And it is for that very reason that I am urging the South Brunswick populace to re-elect Ms. Baig to the BOE this coming November.
Over the course of my two-year term, I saw firsthand the incredible work Ms. Baig does in our community. She is an active participant during meetings, making suggestions, encouraging action and asking questions not just to clarify for herself, but for the general public as well. This has been a controversial few years on our board to say the least, but Ms. Baig has consistently taken a stand to ensure the betterment of our schools and our students.
During my tenure on the board, I also learned that a majority of the BOE’s work really does happen behind the scenes. It is here, perhaps more than anywhere else, where Ms. Baig truly shines. She serves on both the Academic Policy Committee and on the Mental Wellness dashboard, two vital components to our district’s well-being. The district has seen some serious change in curricular policy thanks to the implementation of standardized tests, but Ms. Baig had a central hand in ensuring those transitions went smoothly so every student had the ability to succeed.
As a former South Brunswick High School student, I find her representation and support of the work on the Mental Wellness dashboard to be very important. It is no secret that South Brunswick schools are competitive, and this often leads to strain on a student’s mental well-being. The efforts of the Mental Wellness dashboard, including that of Ms. Baig, have helped create numerous resources for students seeking help and has fostered a positive scholastic environment, where success is no longer defined by a GPA and students feel comfortable in achieving whatever they believe is their academic best.
I haven’t even begun to cover the support she shows for our schools outside her BOE duties. There’s hardly an event I’ve attended where Ms. Baig hasn’t attended as well, be it a sporting event, musical, concert, dance performance, Homecoming, pep rally, prom fashion show; this list is lengthy and telling.
Azra Baig loves South Brunswick schools. It is that simple. As both a parent and a board member, she has shown incredible devotion to our students and their educational experience. I only hope that I can show the same drive and passion for my own pursuits as she shows for the South Brunswick school district.
When I cast my first ballot in November, it shall be for Ms. Azra Baig for the BOE. If you would like to see a stronger, better, more caring South Brunswick school district, then I encourage you to do the same.
Sophia Balsamo
South Brunswick