How investment turns first opportunities into lasting leadership for women and girls

This featured guest piece is an excerpt of our May 2026 newsletter.

Dear Women and Girls of the Commonwealth,

I was raised in a low-income, working-class family in Easthampton—and like so many first-generation students, I had to find my way into rooms that were never designed for me.

That path led me to serve as a Berkshire County (BCCSW) Regional Commissioner in my early twenties and now as a state commissioner. In my early thirties, I stepped into the role of Executive Director of a foundation, helping to shape decisions that impact women and girls across Massachusetts. I was the first in my family to attend college—and not just any college, but an elite women’s college. That experience changed the trajectory of my life.

But I did not get there alone. I got there because people invested in me.

Scholarships made that path possible. So did early leadership opportunities—starting a girls group in middle school and finding my way into rooms where I could begin to see what was possible.

That is exactly why programs like our Girls Empowerment and Leadership Initiative (GELI) matter.

Last week, at the GELI Summit, I saw that same spark—young people already leading, already organizing, and pushing us to do better. When I first joined the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women five years ago, there were no regional girls commissions, no GELI Summit, and far fewer pathways for young people to lead within this work.

I was clear then: we needed more young people at the table—not just as participants, but as decision-makers, including at the state level.

I also knew we needed stronger representation from across the Commonwealth—from Western Massachusetts and our Gateway Cities to the SouthCoast. And while I may not be the youngest voice in the room anymore, it has been one of the greatest honors of my time on the Commission to help build that vision alongside my fellow commissioners—and to see more young people from communities like the one I grew up in begin to find their way into these spaces.

Today, we are seeing it take shape—regional girls commissions across the state, record-breaking attendance at our annual summit, and more young people stepping into leadership with a clear path to the state level.

Last week, that vision felt especially real. Through my role leading the Women’s Fund SouthCoast, our Young Women’s Advisory Council (YWAC) from New Bedford showed up at GELI—confident and leading alongside peers from across the Commonwealth. And in a full-circle moment, I recently hired an alum from the very first YWAC I built in Springfield—someone who once sat in those sessions and is now helping lead this work with me.

That is what a real pipeline looks like. It is not a moment. It is a continuum.

Our scholarship program is one of the most direct ways we build it.

This year, we are awarding five scholarships of $5,000 each for the 2026–2027 academic year. We received hundreds of applications—each one a reminder that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not.

A past recipient recently wrote to me:

“When I was selected for the scholarship… it felt like a turning point… From May 2024 through May 2025, I passed nine classes… I graduated sooner than I ever expected… I truly believe I wouldn’t be where I am without your faith in me.”

Today, she is a certified teacher leading her own classroom.

That is what investment looks like.

It is why this work is personal for me. The same scholarships that opened doors for me at Smith College now bring me back—coaching students as they consider lives of purpose and moral ambition, and serving on the Industry Leaders Council to support recent graduates entering public policy. It is one of the most meaningful parts of my work—helping ensure more women find their way into the rooms that once felt out of reach.

GELI reminded me of that. The scholarships make it real.

It is my honor to introduce our 2026–2027 MCSW Scholarship recipients—leaders who are already on their way—and to continue building a Commonwealth where these opportunities are not rare, but expected.

With gratitude and solidarity,
Christine Monska
MSCW Vice-Chairwoman

Christine Monska was appointed to the MCSW by the Caucus of Women Legislators in 2020. She is originally from Easthampton, but has lived and worked all across the Commonwealth. Christine is the Executive Director of the Women’s Fund SouthCoast in New Bedford where she increases opportunities for women, girls and gender expansive people to become economically independent, access education, and advocate for solutions to issues in their community. Her publications, speaking engagements, and workshops center on youth empowerment and policy advocacy, women in leadership across sectors and other global gender justice issues. Prior to joining the Women’s Fund SouthCoast, Christine designed and led the Young Women’s Initiative, a policy advocacy and leadership development program for young women in Springfield which was a local implementation of a national program stemming from the White House Council on Women and Girls.

Christine was also the District Director for former Senator Ben Downing where she also sat on the regional commission on the status of women and served as a Board Member for Berkshire County Action Council and Shout Out Loud, a small nonprofit addressing human trafficking. Most recently, Christine was Youth Leadership Programs Manager for The Clubhouse Network, a collaboration with the MIT Media Lab located in Roxbury, MA. In this role, she focused on leadership development and advocacy training in communities that lack representation. Before that, Christine was Continuing Education Advisor at Bard Microcollege, the nation’s first college for low-income women who experienced disrupted education and Program Officer for The Women’s Fund of Western MA. Christine holds a B.A. in Government from Smith College, a M.S. in Global Affairs with a concentration in International Law and Human Rights from New York University. In 2023 she was named a “Woman to Watch” by the SouthCoast Almanac.