Let me first start off by congratulating Giuseppe Lagioia and the rest of the One NIU ticket. They ran a great campaign and should be proud of themselves.

Just because I will not be assuming the role of Student Association president, it does not mean that I am not still committed to fighting for students. While about 25 percent of the students rely on MAP grants, it is imperative that we continue to fight for education funding from the state.

NIU has a diverse student body, and its friendly and diverse community is why I chose NIU over other schools when I transferred from Joliet Junior College. I hope that President-elect Lagioia and his executive staff are committed to listening to the voices of all students, and not just Greek organizations.

We must continue to strive for creating a safe campus for all students, and I hope the new executive staff is willing to reach out to the marginalized groups on campus, and listen to their concerns.

I am truly grateful for all the support that I have gotten and I truly appreciate the opportunity to run for SA president. I was fortunate enough to talk to many students who gave me insight on what they would like NIU to be.

Although I am conceding in my campaign, I am not conceding in my fight to create a safe campus for all. I am willing to work with the new executive staff, so we can truly create a Student Association that represents all students.