Jul 11

Jul 11 If You Want It Done, Ask Jacqui

Candidate Steele McCall Discusses Her Lifetime of Service And Willingness To Help Secure County Future

Advertorial By Jacqui Steele McCall

People who know Jacqui Steele McCall often talk about her resilience, her tenacity and persistence. A family member once said of her "If you want it done, ask Jacqui.”

Jacqui is a proud Prince Georgian and transplant from Washington, DC. Growing up, young Jacqui could see the Capitol from the top of the hill. It was inspiring. Trips to the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial were frequent. Her favorite subject was and still is government.

Jacqui attended Largo H.S. and ran for Class President. The young leader was one of the first students to serve in any capacity as a member of the Prince George’s Board of Education as a member of the Student Advisory Council.

As a student who was very involved in school activities, Jacqui was very disappointed to be bussed to Crossland H.S. during the middle of the school year. She sadly recalled that the day they arrived at Crossland. The school bus doors opened and a boy ran to the bus and spit in her best friend’s face. To Jacqui the moment seemed to be frozen in time: the thick, mucous drool just clung to her face. Surprisingly, in time they would be friends with this same boy.

The young Prince Georgian spent summers with her grandparents in Anson County, NC. Her grandmother, Glennie was a Councilmember and mayor pro-tempore of her small town. As a child, she often had to help her grandfather, Jasper who was blind, while her grandmother worked at one of her many jobs. Known also as the "Candy Lady," Steele’s grandmother also ran a micro-business during the summer months.

It wasn’t long before Bennett had Jacqui working for the community. The jobs included reading to people (mostly their mail) and picking peas and pecans. “I most enjoyed reading to older people, as it brought so much joy to their lives,” Steele said.

So this is why she has led a life of service and that includes; being a Girl Scout, teaching elementary students how to read, providing aid to the visually handicapped, taking them shopping, to dinner and to the theater....helping them experience what her grandfather couldn't.

On the professional side, as a Projects & Outreach Coordinator for U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski, Jacqui was able to help many more people, than she could alone. On one particular visit, the senator asked the local officials if they were aware of some help that they could get for a project, to which one elected replied "Jacqui told us" and the Senator replied "Jacqui, Jacqui, Jacqui that's all I hear about is Jacqui."

Presently, Jacqui is an ombudsman in the community, where she provides advice, solutions, opportunities, and occasional food. She is campaigning to become District 23 Delegate.