Ashwani Jain, a Gaithersburg native and Winston Churchill High School graduate, has launched a campaign for the 2022 Maryland gubernatorial election. Jain’s experience as a Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) student, a cancer survivor and a son of Indian immigrants has shaped his platform and approach to the campaign.
When Jain was diagnosed with cancer in middle school, he felt he had a safe place at Herbert Hoover Middle School, where many of his teachers, guidance counselors and peers supported him. This experience, along with attendance at a Title 1 elementary school, brought perspective to his education platform. His policy goals, including easing student debt for educators, diversifying staff and prioritizing funding for low-income neighborhoods’ school construction, stem from his experience at MCPS and his hopes for all Maryland students.
In March 2021, MCPS announced that student resource officers would no longer be employed in schools, a change that Jain supports for all of Maryland. He would like to direct funding to increasing mental health resources and guidance counselor staffing instead.
Jain also hopes to increase access to STEM programs, which he believes Montgomery County has been successful with. Women and people of color are often underrepresented in the STEM field, and by increasing access to these programs in schools, Jain hopes to minimize future disparities in the workforce.
As a son of Indian immigrants, Jain appreciates Montgomery County’s value of diversity. “This idea of inclusion, accessibility… has naturally led me to live life the way I have, dedicated to public service and then in a lot of the policies I advocate for now as a candidate for governor,” he said. All of Jain’s policies can be found on his website, Jain for Governor.
Jain’s campaign is the largest grassroots campaign in the state, with volunteers from every county. In order to create an accessible and inclusive political environment, Jain has recruited people of all ages, from middle schoolers to retirees, to volunteer for his campaign in order to ensure that everyone has a voice. He encourages everyone, no matter their age or location, to contact VolunteerForJain@gmail.com to get involved with his campaign.
As a senior at Churchill in 2007, Jain volunteered for the Obama presidential campaign.“I saw an opportunity to feel empowered, and to make some difference in the community around me,” Jain said. It is a message that he hopes today’s youth will carry with them.
Jain advises students, “Just do it, and don’t let anyone tell you what you are capable of doing or not.”
Article by Tori Newby of Sherwood High School
Photo courtesy of Maryland Matters