Bio: Barna Begzad (she/her) is a senior at North Hagerstown High School in Washington County. She is enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Program. This year is her second year on the MASC Executive Board and she is excited serving as the Communications Director! Barna also serves as the President of the Washington County Association of Student Councils (WCASC). Outside of student council, Barna enjoys spending her time reading, writing, and traveling. With a passion for advocacy and a hope to inspire other student leaders, Barna is excited for the memories she will continue to make in MASC!

Bio: Qamryn Askew is a senior at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. This is his first year on the MASC Executive Board, having previously served as the secretary on the Associated Student Congress of Baltimore City. Outside of student advocacy, Qamryn is a self taught jazz and blues guitarist, a playwright, and a journalist.

Bio: Mikal Witherspoon is a Maryland Association of Student Councils (MASC) newcomer, excited to be serving as the Historian for the 2024-2025 school year. Mikal is passionate about the environment and actively participates in the Prince George’s County Regional Association of Student Governments (PGRASG) and the Prince George’s County Student Environmental Coalition (PGSEC). When not involved in student government and environmental activities, Mikal loves listening to music, binging TV shows and movies, and cooking. Mikal is dedicated to capturing and preserving the stories and achievements of MASC through photography, ensuring that everyone’s contributions are remembered and celebrated.

Bio: Sam Park is a sophomore at Eastern Technical High School in Baltimore, Maryland. As a past historian for MASC, he is excited to continue his passion for photography to ensure MASC’s history is well-documented. Not only that, Sam’s creativity shines through in various subjects like music, film, and creating videos, as demonstrated in MASC and other organizations like the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra (BSYO) and the National Association of Student Councils (NASC). Besides being a creative major, Sam is also dedicated to advocacy and leadership, being highly active in his school, county, state, and national student councils, as well as in the Maryland State House advocating for bills.

Bio: Riya Vaidya is a freshman at Huntingtown High School in Calvert County. She is excited to be part of the MASC Executive Board as one of the publications coordinators. She serves as the Treasurer for the Calvert Association of Student Councils (CASC). Riya enjoys playing soccer, traveling, and meeting new people. She is looking forward to creating new memories and helping others develop their leadership skills.

Bio: Manreet Anand (she/her), a sophomore at Eastern Technical High School in Baltimore County, is enrolled in the Academy of Health Professions program. She has been involved with MASC for the past three years although this is her first year on the appointed staff. At the regional level, Manreet has served in the Baltimore County Junior Councils (BCJC) and is serving in the Baltimore County Student Councils (BCSC). This year, she will be serving as the BCSC’s Operations Director. Manreet has a strong passion for student leadership and advocacy! Among other activities, in addition to her student council roles, she is active in her school’s SkillsUSA chapter, Chamber Orchestra, and South Asian Student Union.  Her hobbies include baking, reading, and listening to music. Manreet is excited to be part of the MASC family and aims to help promote and elevate MASC publications!

Bio: Ashton Pennington (she/they) is a senior at Eastern Technical High School in Baltimore County. Ashton has been involved in Student Council since 6th grade and this is her first year being on MASC Staff. Within their county student council, Ashton has served as a Historian for 2 years. Ashton specializes in interactive media production and is working towards getting their Adobe certification. In her spare time, Ashton enjoys photography, reading, playing field hockey, and playing Animal Crossing. During her time as Social Media Manager, Ashton hopes to generate more interest in student involvement throughout the state by creating engaging social media posts.

Bio: Krish currently is a Junior at Poolesville High School in the Science Math and Computer Science (SMCS) program. He is heavily involved in student advocacy and currently serves as a Chief of Staff for the Montgomery County Student Government Association and is also the Chief of Staff for Praneel Suvarna’s Student Member of the Board Advisory Council.

Bio: Grace Hollingsworth (she/her) is a senior in the International Baccalaureate program at North Hagerstown High School (NHHS). She currently serves as the student council president and participates in various school activities, including Key Club, ‘Calc’ Club (a tutoring program), and Interactive Media Production. Beyond her school, she demonstrates her leadership as the Vice President of the Washington County Association of Student Councils. This is her second year as Social Media Manager for MASC and she is thrilled to continue her work in social networking. Outside of school, Grace enjoys drawing, painting, and watching movies with her family.