Major: Business Management
College: LSBE
Representatives must sit on at least one committee. How will you work with your fellow student representatives and committee members to solve problems, raise awareness, or make changes at UMD?
Listening is one of the most important steps in achieving positive change and creating effective solutions; it is how we put ourselves in others' shoes. I can work with my fellow representatives by bringing others' perspectives to the table and not just my own. This would ensure that the decisions made will account for the well-being of all groups. Working together through active listening will make the student government body stronger.
Describe any leadership experience you have.
I have created, organized, and led teen activities for the annual Living Education Retreat. This retreat is for couples learning about homeschooling. Although it is primarily focused on adults, parents will bring their teens. For the past three years, I have collaborated with the founder to create activities for teens to participate in during the retreat. This has formed lasting friendships and a community for teens who attend.
Describe the relationship between Student Government Association and the student body. Explain how you as a leader and a member of this collaborative organization might strengthen and/or maintain this relationship.
When I think of the Student Government Association, I think of its role in advocating for the student body. To maintain a relationship, work needs to be put into strengthening the weak areas. The Student Government Association must be a place where feedback and open communication are welcomed from the student body. I will keep this communication open by being someone that freshmen can talk to when they see me in the library, hallways, and dining center. As a leader, I am open to negative feedback and evaluating places where I can improve. I can have hard conversations without being dismissive, and this is the type of work that will strengthen the relationship between the Student Government Association and the student body.
Diversity of opinion is one of Student Government Association’s most important characteristics. In many cases, you will have individuals expressing opinions that are different from your own. How might this idea be beneficial when making critical decisions for the organization and the student body? How might you handle a situation like this as a representative?
Diversity in opinions is what creates the space for equal decisions. I cannot understand what I have not experienced, which is why having hard conversations promotes different perspectives. It creates better decision-making in critical moments. This allows different perspectives in the student government meetings to have a voice. My roommate is Vietnamese; in her culture, it is considered negative for them to sleep with a mirror facing their bed. At that time, this was the most convenient place for the mirror. Through listening to her needs and respecting her culture, we found a solution together. The ability to work with a diversity of opinions is what I want to see in a representative, and what I hope to bring to the Student Government Association.
What is a song that you think describes you?
All Star by Smash Mouth
