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Meet Grace Wu - MASC President

Mogami Kariya
Jan 12, 2018
2 min read

What is MASC, and how does it relate to leadership in Montgomery County?

The Maryland Association of Student Councils is the statewide student government organization affiliated with the Maryland State Department of Education, composed of the 21 regional student governments of Maryland which includes MCR and MCJC. It serves as a platform for the student voice across the state, focusing on leadership development, student advocacy, and communication.

What do you do as president of MASC?

Some of my duties as president include planning and chairing MASC's conferences and executive board meetings, representing MASC when working with our partner organizations such as Strong Schools Maryland, reporting to MSDE about MASC's various events and activities, and other general functions. It also includes working with the MASC officer team to see how we can improve MASC events and how MASC can better engage with students across the state. Something else I worked on this year was creating “MD Talks,” an event where student speakers can share their personal stories and experiences centered around different themes, with the theme at MASC's Fall Leadership Conference being the topic of diversity.

What experiences do you have as being a student leader?

I first joined student government in elementary school, later joining MCJC when I learned about county student government and then MASC at the state level. In addition to MASC, I also serve as the Legislative Committee Chair of the Maryland Youth Advisory Council to organize written and oral testimony on youth-related bills of interest in the Maryland General Assembly. As a part of MYAC, I have spoken with the Maryland Children's Cabinet, Lt. Governor, Maryland Women's Caucus, as well as local management boards about the council's mission and legislative priorities.

What do you think about the student leadership organizations in Montgomery County like MCJC and MCR?

Getting to know regional student governments across the state, I think it's so special that MCR has its own middle school counterpart, which really encourages students to start advocating and making their voice matter from a young age. It's also great to see MCR and MCJC's focus on student advocacy on issues such as mental health and the achievement gap.

What advice would you give to an aspiring student leader?

One of my favorite quotes is "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader" from John Quincy Adams. My advice would be to keep in mind the "lollipop moments," moments that can change someone's life or make someone's day even if it's a simple word or action, while working to create and achieve your overall vision.

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