The Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) has selected Charlie Frugé of Oxford to serve as the high school junior student representative to the SBE for the 2022-23 school year.

Student representatives are non-voting SBE members who provide input on policy decisions that affect Mississippi public schools. Frugé will join Micah Hill of Laurel, who serves as the high school senior representative to the SBE.

“Our student representatives offer the SBE tremendous insight of what’s happening within schools and what the needs are of today’s students,” said Rosemary Aultman, SBE chair. “We welcome Charlie to the student representative program and look forward to receiving his input on issues facing students in public education in Mississippi.”

Student representatives serve for two years. After the senior representative graduates, the junior representative will promote to the senior representative position. A new junior representative is appointed annually.

Frugé is a junior at Oxford High School in the Oxford School District and has proven to be a leader academically and in his community.

As a freshman, Frugé scored a 30 on the ACT. Then he led efforts in the 30+Club to offer free ACT tutoring to students in the mornings before class. Frugé scored a 34 on the ACT in fall 2021.

As a member of OHS’s Students for Alzheimer’s club, Frugé directed efforts to raise $20,000 for Memory Makers. His extracurricular activities include student council, Boy Scouts, Eagle Scout, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, tennis, and active membership at Oxford University United Methodist Church. He has served as class president, senior patrol leader in Boy Scouts and founder of Fruge’ Tutoring.

“I’ve always felt a call to serve; this was ingrained in me from a young age,” Frugé said. “I’ve watched my parents serve our community. I’ve had the Scout Oath and Law drilled into me. However, I want my service to have a tangible impact.”

The alternate junior representative is Kathryn Newman, a junior at Ethel Attendance Center in the Attala County School District. An alternate is named to fulfill the term of the junior student representative should the representative be unable to complete the term for any reason.

The eligible applicant pool for the junior representative included 35 students. The 12 semifinalists will join the Mississippi Department of Education’s Student Advisory Council, which will provide input about educational opportunities and policy with the state superintendent of education.

Approximately 15 state boards of education have successfully implemented student advisory programs. In 2018, the SBE adopted a policy outlining the criteria for adding student representatives to the State Board.