Merone Tesfaye

Merone Tesfaye is a resident of Brooklyn and the face of the College Board's "Don't Forget Ed" movement, which aims to elevate the issue of education in the presidential campaigns and encourage the candidates to lay out their visions for reform. After recently graduating from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, the Upper West Side school that was the inspiration for the "Fame" film and television series, Merone will attend the University of Wisconsin, where she plans to study communications en route to a career in advertising. Merone's interest in education was sparked by her volunteering as a teacher's assistant at P.S. 188, an elementary school on the Lower East Side that predominantly serves low-income families. Her passion for education was further shaped by her involvement in Girls Learn International, which works to improve educational outcomes for young women around the world. This summer she jumped at the chance to get involved in "Don't Forget Ed," first appearing in a PSA that helped kick off the movement and also starring in a longer convention-themed video released this month.