Board of Education Candidate Profile: Sharon Shah

Sharon Shah has called Lowell home for more than a decade. She moved to the community from Caledonia 11 years ago and is now looking forward to watching her daughter graduate in the spring as part of the Lowell High School Class of ’25.

However, Shah hopes that won’t be the end of her involvement in Lowell Area Schools. The 37-year-old is on the November ballot for a spot on the LAS Board of Education.

“I’ve always had a heart that loves to serve people, (and) children have always been important to me,” Shah says. While she appreciates the work done by the current board, she also believes they may sometimes fall into “group think.” Noting that she is able collaborate but also stand up for her beliefs, Shah says: “I think people should vote for me because I am a different option.”

Shah is one of five active candidates vying for four seats on the LAS Board of Education during this November’s general election.

“Conservative Christian Voice”

Saying she would provide a “conservative Christian voice,” Shah believes she would serve as a contrast to the current members of the Board of Education.

“No one is open about their faith on the board,” according to Shah. “I almost felt it was a call of duty to step up because no one like-minded like me was running.”

Her sense of commitment to serving the community goes beyond running for the school board. She is a client advocate at Alpha Care Center and serves as a mentor at Cherry Creek Elementary School through Kids Hope USA. Outside her volunteer activities, Shah works as an independent housecleaner.

Local residents might also recognize Shah as one of the moderators of the Lowell MI Community Chatter Facebook group, a social media page that serves as something of a virtual water cooler for community conversations. But that’s a role Shah anticipates stepping down from if elected.

Running for a Spot on the Board

While this is Shah’s first time running for the school board, it’s not her first time on the ballot. Last year, she ran unsuccessfully for Lowell City Council.

This year, Shah is one of two non-incumbents running for a seat on the Board of Education. She acknowledges that she doesn’t have the same educational and professional background as other candidates but says her qualifications include being an open-minded, empathetic and compassionate person.

“I’m running on terms of being a good mom and caring about our children and the community as a whole,” she says.

Some children in the district may be dealing with trauma of some sort, and Shah wants to be sure those students receive the support they need. At the same time, she worries that “the standards of education have lowered because we have worked in an extra sensitivity.”

Goal: Fostering Unity in the District

Looking to the future, Shah sees Lowell Area Schools as a district that will grow and become more diverse. “I really just would like to promote a sense of unity and celebrate the fact that we’re not the same,” she says.

If elected, Shah would want the board to “change how we look at parents.” She wants to ensure that everyone has a “seat at the table” and that all views are acknowledged, welcomed and appreciated.

“Concerned parents are viewed as destructive,” according to Shah, and she would like to have more collaboration between parents and the district. “How can we be sensitive to everybody?” she asks.

“Always, my goal is to promote unity in the community,” Shah says. “I would promise to make myself accessible and celebrate people using their freedom to share.”

Shah hopes voters will elect her to the LAS Board of Education in November so she can work on that goal, noting: “I’m just a normal girl who loves this community.”