SNOW HILL – Local officials recognized Stephen Decatur High School’s Brandon Yusuf for his service as a student page at the 2018 Maryland General Assembly.
On Tuesday, the Worcester County Commissioners presented Yusuf with a commendation in honor of his service as a page in Annapolis. They praised his dedication and interest in government.
“He uses his time and talents wisely to serve both his school and the greater community,” Commissioner Diana Purnell said.
Yusuf, a senior at Decatur, thanked the Worcester County Board of Education and the staff at his high school for providing him with the opportunity to participate in the student page program. Through it he spent two weeks working as a page at the Maryland General Assembly.
“I have to thank all my teachers, all the administrators at our school as well as all my student peers who gave me the confidence and ability to represent myself fully with confidence in Annapolis,” Yusuf said.
He said it was an educational opportunity that taught him how the legislature works.
“It taught me some really key things I would not have learned in any government class,” he said. “More specifically I learned about things within myself. I learned about the power of hope, and how the power of hope can bring about change even when change itself doesn’t seem readily evident. I learned that even when the odds seemed stacked against you, as when one delegate was trying to pass a bill, perseverance can pay off. And I learned that even when injustice seems overwhelming, one person, one delegate, one individual in our state, can help change and make a difference.”
Superintendent of Schools Lou Taylor praised Yusuf for representing the school system well. Principal Tom Zimmer agreed.
“Brandon is what is good in Worcester County, in our schools,” Zimmer said. “He is a fine representation of not only Stephen Decatur High School but of Worcester County … He embodies what we want all our students to be and I know he’ll have a bright, bright future whatever path he chooses to go down.”
