STUDENT GOVERNMENT Six Mt. Lebanon High School students will get an inside look at local government this school year as junior commissioners and interns.

Seniors Daniel McNulty of Newburn Drive and Emma Chothani of Pinetree Road are Mt. Lebanon’s junior commissioners for the 2019-20 school year. McNulty will serve for the fall semester and Chothani will serve in the spring.

Junior commissioners attend Mt. Lebanon commission meetings and report on activities and news from the school district. They also report on commission progress to the high school. Candidates must submit an application and a letter of recommendation. Members of the Mt. Lebanon Commission interview candidates and select the representatives.

This isn’t McNulty’s first experience with the commission. He served as a municipal intern last year and is a familiar face at commission meetings. He also is a member of the high school’s Model UN. “I’m applying to colleges in the fall, and I’ve been focusing largely on schools that could allow me to become a professional in the field of governance—my interest in being a junior commissioner is more than just looking to get an edge in admissions, but to gain the experience necessary to pursue a career in government,” McNulty wrote in his application.

Chothani is an active member of student council who has served as the vice president of the Class Council for three years and a volunteer with the Mt. Lebanon Nature Conservancy and Girl Scouts. “I also think it is critical for the youth of our town to have a voice, and I hope that I can gather feedback at the high school through methods like survey forms and relay this information at the commission meetings,” she wrote in her application.

The commission also named four students as interns: Fall interns are junior Rachel Short of Kenmont Avenue and junior Karen Lin of Salem Drive. Junior Katherine Wilkison of Wainwright Drive and sophomore Jack Horrigan of Arden Road will serve as interns in the spring.

The internship program includes a real-world look at the decision process behind providing local services, budgets, the role of boards and authorities, the role of elected officials, the importance of public outreach and communication and other critical government topics.