Kathleen Welch defeated Lien Diaz to win a seat on the Buford Board of Education, securing 80% of the vote. 

Who is she: The win marks Welch’s entry into politics and makes her the youngest member on the board at just 28 years old. 

How she reacted: “I am thrilled to be able to serve our schools well and so thankful for the support I’ve received from the community.” 

On the issues: A main area of focus for Welch is student career preparation and “setting our students up to not only be successful at Buford, but to be successful once they're no longer in our doors anymore.” 

What’s next: “From here, I’ll join the board in 2022 and begin working alongside the board members. I look forward to learning from them and helping to keep our school system the No. 1 system in the state.”