Meet the 2024-2025 MCR Officers

Top left: Sophie Nguyen, Top right: Cidera Dukuray, Bottom left: Anna Jhon, Bottom right, Nareen Othman

On April 24th, the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association held their last General Assembly for the 2023-2024 school year. During this meeting, attendees took on one of the most important and exciting responsibilities of MCR: electing new officers. After candidates gave short speeches and participated in a Q&A for each office, voting commenced. It was a tight race, and most voters can be quoted saying that they had no idea who would win the majority of the elections; Sophie Nguyen, who ran unopposed for president, was the only candidate whom delegates confidently endorsed as a clear frontrunner. 

Candidates Alex Allin from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (junior) and Anna Jhon from Walter Johnson High School (sophomore) ran for the office of secretary. Allin ran on a platform of increasing access to advocacy, making MCR a hub for student leadership within the county, and creating real-world change. His experience included being an MCR advocacy coordinator. Meanwhile, Jhon prioritized more diversity in the executive board, events at different high schools, and increased communication within MCR. Her experience included working with Moco 4 Change. Both candidates were involved with EcoMoco and the Lynne Harris Student Internship, as well as being the president-elects of their respective high schools. 

After voting concluded for MCR executive board members and delegates from participating schools, Anna Jhon was elected to be the next MCR secretary. In her own words, she hopes to “increase accessibility for students to speak out, whether that be through round tables at executive meetings or communicative action with SGA.” 

Candidates Hali Duong from Richard Montgomery High School (sophomore), Nareen Othman from Northwood High School (junior), and Emma Yuan from Wootton High School (junior) ran for the office of treasurer. Duong promised an annual budget plan, increased representation, more fundraisers, and a pattern of financial activism going forward. Her experience included being an MCR workshop director and an advocacy/policy Director for the Asian American Progressive Student Union. Othman ran on a platform with the colloquial acronym BREAD, based on balance, responsiveness, equity, and access. Her experience included being the founder of Womenstruall, a menstrual equity initiative for the Montgomery County area. Finally, Yuan ran on a platform of increased funding, grant program improvement, financial advocacy, and membership engagement. Her experience included being the treasurer of her high school and an MCR finance director.

Nareen Othman was elected to be the next MCR treasurer. Speaking of the beginning of her term, Othman jokes that “the first thing I did was definitely go get a bowl from Chipotle, but as of right now my main priority is reviewing grant applications and making sure they’re being distributed equitably.” 

Candidates Peter Boyko from Northwest High School (sophomore), Cidera “Cid” Dukuray from Wheaton High School (junior), Zaria Naqvi from Churchill High School (sophomore), and Gabriel “Gabe” Okobi (junior) ran for the office of vice-president, making it the most hotly contested position. Boyko aimed for advocacy, communication, and equity with his acronym ACE and emphasized his experience as a co-founder of the largest environmental organization in the county, Eco Moco. Dukuray presented herself as an advocate for students inside and outside of student government, demonstrating how her experience as an informative content creator (among other leadership positions) would bring a fresh set of eyes to MCR. Naqvi chose to prioritize equity and representation, bolstering it with her experience as president of Churchill High School and a leader in organizations such as the Student Advisory Council (SAC), the Maryland Youth Council, and the Maryland Association of Student Councils (MASC). Finally, Okobi put forth his goal to make MCR more fun and not as intimidating (a motif reflected throughout his campaign, which featured a Barbie-themed Instagram post). Okobi’s experience included being an MCR task force director and the president of his school’s Key Club. An amusing and memorable moment from the General Assembly came during the Q&A with vice-presidential candidates, throughout which there was seemingly confusion on whether the candidates were supposed to sit or stand while answering questions. 

Cidera Dukuray is the vice-president-elect for 2024-2025. “The first thing I’ll do,” Dukuray says, “is work to promote our executive board applications at underrepresented schools and work closely with the MCJC [Montgomery County Junior Council] officers to determine how I can best support them.” 

Finally, the least controversial and arguably most significant race commenced. Sophie Nguyen, a junior from Rockville High School, ran unopposed for the position of president, having cemented her presence in MCR as this year’s secretary. Nguyen built her platform on the acronym LEAD (Learn, Equity, Access, and Diverse), prioritizing putting together a stellar executive board and visiting the underrepresented schools & SGAs as her first line of action. Nguyen, to one’s surprise, prevailed as the president-elect, and she will settle into the responsibility with a myriad of other leadership positions under her belt, such as involvement with the non-profit Compostology and FAIR (Fans of Asylum and Immigration Reform). 

Nguyen is elated to serve as the president for 2024-2025, and says that “the first thing I would do is renovate our social media presence so that everyone, not just SGAs, know how to get involved with MCR.”

This series of close races only serves to highlight the incredible culture of advocacy present in MCR-SGA. With a stunningly qualified slate of candidates, delegates had no shortage of options to choose from for who would represent them for the next year. Current officers Anusha Krishnan (president), Praneel Suvarna (vice-president), Nico D’Orazio (treasurer), and Sophie Nguyen (secretary) will welcome the new officers into their respective positions, ensuring a smooth transition. The past officers all have exciting new frontiers to conquer in the coming year; Krishnan will take on UNC Chapel Hill as a college freshman and Robertson Scholar, Suvarna will serve as the 47th MCPS Student Member of the Board (SMOB), D’Orazio will enroll as a student at Dartmouth College, and Nguyen will, of course, serve as the next MCR president. Sophie Nguyen (president-elect), Cidera Dukuray (vice-president-elect), Nareen Othman (treasurer-elect), and Anna Jhon (secretary-elect) will take over in June of 2024. Both the retired and newly elected officers encouraged MCPS students to submit an application for the MCR Executive Board, an exciting opportunity that closed on May 27th.

*Interview responses have been edited for grammar and clarity.

Written by Lily Scheckner

Published by the Communications Department