Marny Xiong, the chair of the Saint Paul Public School Board of Education in Minnesota, died June 7 from COVID-19. She was 31. 

She joined the school board in 2018 and was elected chair in 2020. During her tenure, she championed equity and worked to ensure that all students and families felt welcomed and supported. The daughter of Hmong refugees, she was a 2007 graduate of the St. Paul school system. 

In a joint statement, the Saint Paul Public Schools and the Board of Education vowed to honor Xiong by continuing her work to break down and remove barriers within the city’s educational system.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to Marny’s family and many friends during this very difficult time. Each of us has learned and grown thanks to our relationship with Marny. Her spirit and her passion for student inclusion and achievement live on in each of us; may her light shine on in what we do for our students and how we treat those around us.”