I was elated to learn that Holly Morand was running for Hopkinton School Committee. I could not imagine a more qualified candidate. Holly has been supporting Hopkinton for nearly a decade, so it is fitting that we first met through a mutual friend who volunteered with Holly for Hopkinton schools.

Impressively, Holly took on the daunting role as president of the Hopkinton PTO (then the HPTA) where she oversaw the HPTA’s vast volunteer initiatives and its six-figure budget. Beyond her work leading the HPTA, Holly has served on multiple district committees, including the Permanent Building Committee and the 18-22 Excel Program Committee. As a social worker, Holly has supported our town at large and many district families through Hopkinton Youth & Family Services. Holly also routinely consults for a host of local organizations, including the Hopkinton Freedom Team and the Mental Health Collaborative.

Holly is not only giving of her time to her community, she is impressively productive with her professional pursuits. A former applied chemist, Holly is currently completing a public policy Ph.D. in behavioral health.

Holly is the epitome of informed compassion. She is, at heart, a helper. Holly moved mountains to ensure that a stranger in crisis had emergency housing when public services were unavailable. Not surprisingly, Holly co-led the highly effective vaccine finder platform when our teachers and school staff were in dire need last spring. In the past year especially, Holly has been an unyielding advocate for vulnerable neighbors and shared their experience with respect, intelligence and dignity.

The work of our School Committee has never been so important. As we continue to emerge from a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, our schools face an unprecedented mental health crisis while experiencing continuing rapid community growth and increasing budgetary constraints. Holly would be an exemplary addition to the committee in the important days ahead. Her unique expertise in mental health will be a vital asset to our community. Likewise, her background in research and data analysis offers critical skills for the committee to develop feasible, evidence-based policies to ensure that our schools uphold our impressive academic standards and deliver social emotional learning for all.

Even if Holly were not my friend, she would have my full support. Please join me on May 16 by voting for Holly Morand.

— Carolyn Fitzpatrick, Hopkinton

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