MoCo4Change General Assembly Recap Newsletter

On February 25th, 2025, MoCo4Change held its highly anticipated General Assembly at Rockville Memorial Library, bringing together students and advocates from across Montgomery County. This event provided an opportunity to introduce our leadership, highlight key initiatives, and engage in meaningful advocacy efforts. Here’s a breakdown of everything that happened:

Officer Introductions

To start the meeting, we introduced the 2024-2025 MoCo4Change Executive Board:

• Co-Presidents: Olivia Suh & Sophie Nguyen

• Vice President: Kimberly Lee

• Secretary: Rudrojas Kunvar

• Treasurer: Victoria Kaprielian

Each officer shared their goals for the year, emphasizing MoCo4Change’s mission to empower youth voices and drive meaningful policy change.

Raffle Fundraiser

Attendees had the chance to participate in a fun and engaging raffle, with prizes including stuffed animals, slime, candy, a cozy blanket, and more! All proceeds from the raffle will directly support MoCo4Change’s advocacy efforts, ensuring we have the resources necessary to continue our work.

SMOB Finalist Panel

We were honored to host a Student Member of the Board (SMOB) finalist panel, featuring Peter Boyko and Anuva Maloo. Both candidates presented their platforms, shared their visions for the future of MCPS, and answered insightful questions from attendees. This panel allowed members to gain a deeper understanding of each candidate’s priorities, helping them make informed decisions in the upcoming SMOB election.

MoCo4Change Overview & Department Introductions

For our new members, we provided an overview of MoCo4Change’s mission and structure. Our leadership team introduced the various departments, explaining their roles and responsibilities:

• Department of Communications: Handles press relations, social media, and creates promotional materials.

• Department of Networking: Establishes partnerships with external organizations and assists with funding.

• Department of Member Outreach: Supports school branches, relays organizational updates, and hosts monthly meetings.

• Department of Field Organization: Secures venues, files permits, manages volunteers, and coordinates event logistics.

• Department of Policy: Conducts research on relevant legislation, presents findings, and supports policy initiatives.

• Department of Finance: Manages the organization’s budget, writes grants, and oversees fundraising.

• Historian/Webmaster: Documents events through photography and videography and manages MoCo4Change’s website.

Each department director shared updates on their current projects and ways members can get involved.

Policy Spotlight: HB0052

Our Policy Department provided an in-depth overview of HB0052, a bill that proposes lowering the Maryland Board of Education voting age to 16. MoCo4Change is actively advocating for this bill because:

• It expands student involvement in Maryland governance.

• It ensures that students—who are directly affected by BOE decisions—have a say in school leadership.

• It fosters civic engagement habits at an early age.

Letter-Writing Campaign

To take immediate action on HB0052, we held a letter-writing campaign in partnership with Vote16, where over 30 attendees wrote personalized letters in support of the bill. This initiative empowered members to advocate directly to legislators, emphasizing the importance of student representation in educational decision-making.

Looking Ahead

The General Assembly was a huge success, setting the stage for an impactful year of advocacy and action. We are thrilled to see so many passionate students getting involved and taking initiative.

Want to stay updated or get involved? Follow us on social media @moco4change and be on the lookout for executive board applications dropping in August!

Together, lets make the 2025-2026 school year a year of change.