Louna Khan, a parent of four children in the Douglas County School System, has been named as one of 36 parents from across Georgia to the State School Superintendent Parent Advisory Council.

Khan was nominated to serve on the parent advisory council by Denine Pope, parent outreach facilitator at Annette Winn Elementary School in Lithia Springs.

It was Khan’s tireless efforts in volunteering at her younger daughters’ school that made her stand out.

“It’s being a part of parenting to me,” Khan said.

In her recommendation, Pope wrote, “Mrs. Khan is an exemplary parent leader and plays an active role in her children’s education. She has genuine enthusiasm in serving others, a pleasant demeanor and is efficient in communicating and working with others.”

Born in Laos, Khan and her family moved to the United States in 1978 when she was 9 years old as refugees from Thailand. She grew up in Utah and considers herself a product of the American education system. She attended school and graduated from college in the United States.

“I have lived in other countries where elementary and secondary education are not free,” she said. “As a parent, I stress to my children that education should not be taken for granted.”

While in Utah, Khan worked as a counselor with disabled children.

“You have to have money to attend school in Laos,” she explained, “which is why my parents brought us here.”

She is passing along the same emphasis in education to her own children that her parents stressed to her.

“My parents always emphasized the importance of education to us and I emphasize that importance to my children.”

Khan and her husband, a native of Bangladesh, have lived in Georgia for the past 15 years. They have lived in Douglas County for the last eight.

Their daughters include a freshman in the International Baccalaureate program at Douglas County High School, a sixth-grader at Turner Middle School and first- and third-graders at Annette Winn.

“It is hard to find people who volunteer their time,” Pope said. “Mrs. Khan is here at the drop of the hat for you. She helps so much — nothing is too small or insignificant for her.

“She is concerned not only about her children but other children as well. She is definitely a parent leader.”

On a given day, Khan might be shelving books, helping with a book fair or mending a sofa in the media center.

Khan attended her first of three parent advisory council meetings on Oct. 19 where she met council members from other counties throughout Georgia.