Meet Carmella Munyuzangabo, a U1 student currently studying towards a double major in Political Science and International Development and a minor in Business. Carmella also happens to be the president of MASS, the McGill African Students Society. Aside from serving as president of a club, this accomplished student already has further plans in mind; she is currently working on a start-up company with friends as well as being part of a group that recently created the first Rwandan Students Association of Montreal. During her free time, she enjoys binge-watching shows on Netflix, taking early morning runs through the park and listening to old jazz records.
Mireille Raymond for Her Campus McGill (HC McGill): What is MASS?
Carmella Munyuzangabo (CM): MASS is a lot of things but essentially it’s a club whose mandate is to present and share the extremely diverse and rich African culture to the McGill community and the rest of the Montreal community as well. Our community is not only composed of Africans either, but of people who are passionate about African-related affairs or who are curious and want to learn more about the culture.
HC McGill: How did you first get involved with MASS?
CM: I first got involved with MASS last fall when I arrived at McGill. I applied for the position of first year liaison and went through the interview process and fortunately, I got it. I was excited to be a part of a community that I could identify with and that I could learn from.
HC McGill: As the president of MASS, what are some of your roles in the club?
CM: As president, I am basically the main representative and spokesperson for the club. I must work with the rest of the exec team to make sure that the club is run smoothly both internally (team dynamic, within SSMU and the McGill community) and externally as well (other universities/African associations, events we’re running etc.). I’m supposed to delegate my team members and make sure that we’re bringing interesting and creative events and ideas to the table for the rest of the community to enjoy.
HC McGill: Last year, I saw a lot of publicity for some of your events. Could you tell me about the event you were most proud of?
CM: An event I’m most proud of is the African Development Convention, “Prisms: Africa in the 21st Century – Reclaiming Reality in All Its Forms”. It was quite difficult to pull together but in the end it was very well executed. Everybody from the past, President Ebuka Ufondu and VP Education Nellie Gaithuma, to the project managers, to the volunteers worked together to deliver the 3-day event. We were able to learn a lot, not only from organizing the event but also from the different discussions that were being held. It was fulfilling to see many people from the McGill community attend the event and learn from the varied discussions on Afrofuturism and Gender Politics to a panelist discussion on “Africa’s Growth Narrative” and a thought-provoking speech from our keynote speaker, Binyavanga Wainaina.
HC McGill: What are some of your plans for this upcoming year for the club?
CM: Some of the plans for this upcoming year include our staple events such as the convention, the cultural gala, the annual charity dinner, and the awesome parties we are known for throwing. Aside from that, we plan on hosting a few more small-scale events, such as discussions, networking cocktails, or group outings to events around Montreal that are centered on African topics.
HC McGill: Being a president for a club is very time-consuming, what are some tricks you use to manage your time?
CM: Ah yes, that can be tricky. Two things: Google Calendar & To-do lists.
Images provided by interviewee