Syed Muhammad Hashmi, 17, finds his place on the Babylon Town Board

For Syed Muhammad Hashmi, 17, the path to the Babylon Town boardroom dais began 7,000 miles away.

Hashmi, who is poised to become the first student representative on the town board, emigrated from Pakistan in 2023 after his family began fearing for their safety due to openly backing a political party that was ousted from power.

“Our father and mother always pushed us to support what’s right,” the Deer Park High School senior told Newsday. “To be vocal is an integral part of this.”

The town board voted Wednesday to establish the student representative position after Hashmi, of Deer Park, lobbied for its creation.

Donning a crisp suit, Hashmi gave a presentation at the town’s Jan. 29 meeting, telling the board that there was “a gap in communication and representation” between town officials and youth that could be bridged with a student representative on the board. Such a liaison would ensure that “the voices of young people are heard and considered in the decision-making process,” Hashmi said.

On Feb. 12, Hashmi returned to the lectern to push the board for a response.

Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer said that after looking into the legality of setting up the position, the five-member board agreed to establish it and to have Hashmi as the student representative. He won’t be able to vote, but he can sit in on the pre-board meeting and other town meetings and provide input, Schaffer said.

Hashmi will be sworn in at the board’s next meeting, on March 12, Schaffer said.

“It doesn’t hurt to have additional discussions and have somebody else giving a different perspective,” he said, adding that Hashmi is “really mature and well-spoken.”

'My shining star'

Babylon appears to be unique among Long Island towns, none of which report having a student representative on their town boards.

Some local school districts have had students on their boards, and last fall, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law a requirement that all New York school districts with a high school include a student representative on their board.

When Hashmi goes to college, Babylon officials will reach out to the 11 school districts in the town and have them choose a student representative. The town has not formalized plans but will either pick one from that pool or have all 11 serve, Schaffer said.

Hashmi, his father and older brother have U.S. visas and are seeking political asylum. Until their cases are settled, Hashmi’s mother and two siblings remain in Pakistan, he said. The fissure in such a close-knit family has been “quite painful,” Hashmi said, but he is determined to make his family proud.

Hashmi’s father, Muhammad Salman, 47, said his son has always been a diligent student, estimating that he works “20 out of 24 hours” of the day.

“I’m proud of my son,” he said. “He’s my shining star.”

Early leadership roles

It was in his home country that Hashmi said he first began taking on leadership roles in school. When he started attending Deer Park High School last April, he made a beeline for the first student council meeting and promptly declared he would like to be an officer, he said.

Although students are required to have attended meetings before running for a council seat, Hashmi persuaded his peers to allow him on the ballot, and he is now vice president, he said.

In order to start his senior year this past fall, Hashmi said he had to learn the entire 11th-grade curriculum in one month and take all four Regents exams, which he said he passed with flying colors.

Charlie Cobb, principal of Deer Park High School, chose Hashmi for the school’s Principal’s Award last fall, honoring him for his perseverance in trying to excel academically in a short period.

“He is the definition of a hardworking, goal-oriented student who is taking advantage of all the opportunities that have been available to him, not only here in our school but in our community and country as well,” Cobb told Newsday.

Cobb said he wasn’t surprised that Hashmi went before the town board, but he was impressed at his level of fortitude.

“It’s rare for students to act that way at the age that they are, so it is quite impressive for him to continue that pursuit of his,” he said. “It’s very easy, especially for younger people, to sort of wilt and go away, but he’s been extremely persistent about what’s he’s wanted to do.”

Hashmi, an honor student who has applied to more than a dozen colleges and universities, including Harvard, Yale and Cornell, said he will have to hurry when school lets out at 2:10 to make it to the 3 p.m. town board meetings.

“It might sound hectic, but when you have responsibilities, you have to figure out ways to do it; you cannot slack off,” he said.

Hashmi said he feels he has created a lasting legacy with this new position on the board.

“I think of it as a duty of mine,” he said. “To me, I feel that this is the right thing to do. If somebody else doesn’t do it, then I have to do it.”

By Denise M. Bonilla

denise.bonilla@newsday.comdenisebonilla

Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.