EDITOR’S NOTE: The responses in this report have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
DeKALB – Aidan O’Brien, a senior marketing major, was elected the Student Government Association student trustee for the 2024-2025 academic year. O’Brien spoke to the Northern Star about himself and what he hopes to accomplish as SGA student trustee.
Question: Tell me a little bit about yourself and what you like to do in your free time?
Answer: “I’m from Oak Forest, Illinois, so south suburbs of Chicago, about an hour and 15 minute drive to DeKalb, so not far at all. I am the oldest of four siblings; I grew up playing sports my entire life. So family is a big part of my life. What I like to do for fun now is really just hanging out with my friends. I like watching sports now, and I also just like being outside, being in nature. So whether it’s golfing or going on a walk, I do like to be active during my free time.”
Q: What does SGA mean to you?
A: “To me, it’s about advocating for the student body. I came to this university in Fall 2021 when all universities were still recovering from COVID. And I think it’s crazy to say that I’m a senior now, but even just the four years that I’ve been here, I’ve seen the campus start to revitalize, and the life that’s been sparked here, starting to see more and more Huskie pride, which makes me very happy. But Student Government is just about advocating for students in every single way you can. My position is a very unique one in student government, but I think throughout all levels of student government, at its core purpose, it’s about helping students on campus.”
Q: What do you want to accomplish as SGA student trustee this year?
A: “I am very focused on the goal setting that the university does. So right now, we are in the process of evaluating President Freeman right now and evaluating her 2024 goals, and, kind of, ranking pretty much how the university did at those goals. It’s been a long time since the student trustee has had an impact on the university goals. And so I think with my experience that I’ve had in all things student involvement and just the outreach I have, I’m looking forward to the 2025 university goal setting process to make sure that students best interests and thoughts are taken into careful consideration so that we could have the best goals possible for our students.”
Q: What is your favorite thing about NIU?
A: “One favorite thing about NIU is the people. I wasn’t initially expecting to go to Northern but when I came here, I got involved in some student organizations. That’s really what’s got me here, and I think that’s what keeps a lot of students at this university, is organizations and clubs that they join. Because I truly do think that Northern has some of the most dedicated students and faculty members when it comes to aligning students’ interests to a club or organization. It makes the entire college experience better when you’re around peers your age and able to share those experiences together.”
Q: What would you like students to know about you?
A: “I would like students to know that they can always approach me and come talk to me. I think a lot of times people think I can be intimidating or whatnot, but as student trustee, I want people to know that I’m the student trustee. Once again, it’s a very unique position. But if students out there ever have an issue in the classroom or outside of the classroom and they feel like they can’t talk to anyone, I feel like I’m a great person, for any student to turn to if they need help.”
