Right before spring break, representatives of the Montgomery County Regional (MCR) SGA and the Montgomery County Junior Councils (MCJC) attended the Maryland Association of Student Councils (MASC) Annual Convention in Ocean City. This three-day leadership convention allowed Montgomery County students to establish network with student governments across the state, listen to motivational speakers, and bond as a county.
This was my 3rd year at Convention, and I must say that this was the best year yet! The theme this year was iLEAD. We focused on being student leaders of today in a tech-savvy world. We started the first day with a message from Ed Gerety, one of the most inspirational speakers in the US. I honestly felt that my life has changed because of his words. He focused on chasing after dreams, and living life to the fullest. Though that sounds cliché, Gerety delivered the message with such ardor and expertise, like he had done it a million times before.
The second day was chalk-full of tiring and fun activities. We listened to speeches from MASC Executive Board candidates, voted, and participated in three leadership workshops planned by MASC geared toward our respective age groups. At night, we all dressed up to attend the Awards Ceremony at which Montgomery County’s Student Affairs Coordinator, and one of my personal heroes, Karen Crawford, was honored with the MASC Unsung Hero Award. I for one, got teary-eyed after the announcement. After the Awards Ceremony, we had time for recreation, and we had fun. Along with friends, we took part in karaoke, MASC’s Got Talent, swimming, an Internet Café, dance, and other memorable activities.
The final day at Convention was bittersweet, but only because we were so close to leaving. We observed a wonderful address from Patrick Maurer, a new and innovative speaker for students. We ended the convention with remarks from the Regional Presidents. Jeff He and Prim Phoolsombat both did a wonderful job talking about the accomplishments of and the state of MCR and MCJC, respectively. Jeff He summed up our year, and our time at convention, perfectly with a quote from Dr. Seuss: “How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?”
I will certainly never forget this MASC Convention, and I cannot wait for next year’s!
Article by Christina McCann, SAC press correspondent, sophomore at Blair High School