March 15, 2022
Students studying American government at St. John’s University got an up-close and firsthand account of the multifaceted role of a member of the US House of Representatives when Congresswoman Grace Meng recently visited an undergraduate class at the Queens, NY, campus.
Rep. Meng presently represents the Sixth Congressional District that is located entirely within Queens. According to US Census Bureau data, a plurality of the district’s population is Asian American. The district, comprised of middle-class, minority communities, includes several racially and ethnically diverse Queens neighborhoods, including Auburndale, Bayside, Elmhurst, Flushing, Forest Hills, Glendale, Kew Gardens, Maspeth, Middle Village, Murray Hill, and Rego Park.
Adjunct instructor Brian Browne, Executive Director for University Relations and Assistant Vice President for Government Relations, teaches the undergraduate Introduction to American Government course and invited Rep. Meng to serve as a guest lecturer.
“Since March is Women’s History Month, I felt it important for our students to hear from Rep. Meng, a highly accomplished, female elected official,” he explained. “I reached out to my friend, St. John’s alumna Tayler Jackson, Ph.D. ’13C, ’15G, who serves as her district office director, to coordinate the classroom visit.”
“Hearing directly from, and interacting with, local government decision-makers helps to demonstrate to our students that the quote ‘politics is the art of the possible’ is a reality.”
Rep. Meng discussed a myriad of topics, including a day in the life of a member of Congress, local issues impacting the community, the Russian Ukraine war, and the upcoming midterm elections. One part of the very personal discussion was Rep. Meng sharing how, as the mother of two young children, she strives to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
When Congress is in session, she often spends three nights a week in Washington, DC. She makes an effort to prioritize time with her children and often minimizes, or even turns down, events at the US Capitol and international travel opportunities to get more time at home with her family.
“I have become an expert on quickly booking flights and getting back to Queens as fast as possible,” she told the rapt class of undergraduates.
To that end, Rep. Meng has introduced legislation seeking to revitalize and restore mothers in the workforce. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, mothers, especially mothers of color, have been forced to leave the workforce in droves to meet the unprecedented demands of caregiving, remote schooling, and housework.
Kihana Schicatano, a second-year Journalism major, was moved by the class discussion. “It was truly an honor to have Rep. Meng in our classroom and listen to her many stories and experiences. She definitely made our government and elected officials look more personable, and she seems like a great leader for the community.”
When discussing her previous career in the New York State Legislature, Rep. Meng made connections to her current work in Congress and offered hopeful examples of bipartisan efforts to get things done and to minimize the overall impact of divided government.
“It was very empowering to meet and hear from someone in such a powerful position, especially a woman,” observed Jennifer Singh, a first-year student in The School of Education. “Rep. Meng was very humble, and you could tell how much she cares about her city. It was nice to hear the point of view of a representative and learn how much positive work she has done to help New York. I am happy to have met her, especially during Women’s History Month. Positive changes are happening all around us!”