On April 16, 2025, I had the wonderful opportunity of attending my second WMASC (Western Massachusetts Association of Student Councils) Conference. WMASC is a group that brings together student leaders from across Western Massachusetts to share ideas and leadership skills to make a difference within their school communities. Furthermore, through WMASC, students can run for leadership roles, meet and connect with other student leaders, participate in leadership workshops, and get inspired to positively impact their school communities.
Like any student council, WMASC elects student leaders for the roles of president, vice president, and secretary. In addition to attending the conference, I was running for the role of vice president (and won) this year. I got the inspiration to run for this role after witnessing my older sister, Aby, run for the same role during her sophomore year of high school. As her younger sister, I saw firsthand how this role empowered her and helped her to grow as a leader.
When running for a position on the regional level, you need a campaign. What was my campaign centered around? Cooking. Cooking is something I have been passionate about from a young age. It’s a long-standing joke that I had to learn to cook because I live in an “ingredient household” — if you know, you know — but for me, cooking became so much more. It became a way for me to express myself without using words. In certain moments, it was a safe space where I could lose myself in the ingredients until I could breathe again. Cooking has changed me, and during my campaign, I wanted viewers to feel that.
I was able to make my ideas vocal through my Instagram page, “lucy4wmascvp,” where I posted videos of myself cooking, shared recipes, and talked about how the creativity, patience, and care in cooking apply to leadership. Just like in the kitchen, leadership takes time for preparation, flexibility, and heart.
Through hard work and dedication, I can confidently say that I have been elected the 2025-2026 WMASC vice president–a position I won’t take for granted. I have envisioned 2 key initiatives I would like to bring to WMASC:
First, “A Flavor of Leadership” Podcast–a space for us to share ideas, leadership tips, and experiences in a way that feels real and engaging. Second, the WMASC Leadership Recipe Book– a digital collection of the best fundraisers, events, and leadership strategies from councils across Western MASS. These two initiatives allow schools to share ideas, learn from each other, and build on past successes.
Ultimately, running for WMASC vice president this year challenged me, encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone, and express myself through something that I love. This campaign wasn’t merely about winning. It was about sharing my voice, my story, and my passion with others in a meaningful way. And now, as vice president, I am very excited to keep that same energy and spark going to help create something lasting for WMASC.
