Major: Junior special education major

Involvement: We Care for NIU vice president, NIU College Parents Group treasurer, Career Services intern, Alpha Phi Omega member and Black Student Union member

Q: Why do you think you are the right candidate for this position?

A: I feel that the treasurer [should be] prepared and visible. I am the most qualified candidate for this position because not only do you have to know how to budget wisely, but you have to have a plethora of different experiences and that is what I have. Having all these experiences where I can just talk about it, good, but what I am is a go-getter and a doer. I’m a mover and a shaker and I’m not afraid of change. When I think of change, I don’t think of change as what I want, I think of everybody; their needs, the unheard, the undocumented, the under-represented and the non-traditional students. I want to create an inclusive, not exclusive, SA.

Q: What would be your No. 1 priority if elected?

A: … To abide by the policies and the guidelines that are given to me, create five committees who will reach out to people and run those committees cohesively. Making sure that everything is on point, that all the deadlines are set, that there is visibility, that the committees are good to go and that everyone knows what’s supposed to happen. I also want to have a more innovative treasurer position and evolve it to where the treasurer is a more present position and visiting organizations, whether it be through visibility or social media. I want students to know that I am here and available to them if they need me. As far as business goes, in order for us to focus on the bottom, we have to focus on SA together being to the point where we can work together and spread awareness.

Q: Name an issue NIU is facing and explain how the SA can help NIU fix these problems.

A: Prioritization. We need to create more focus groups and doing it more hands on. In doing so, this will create more leaders. I feel that the Student Association needs to raise more awareness when it comes to these issues in order to … have people understand that these issues will affect them personally. We need to inform students on their own issues and know what their rights are.

Q: How would you help the SA connect more with students?

A: I will fearlessly and confidently lead the students of the SA and the students here at NIU. By this I mean that I will read all the rules and then create very comfortable changes. Internally, I will not only inspire and encourage, but I will help with policies, create policies and suggest specific policies that will require or record involvement and/or reward involvement. In order for us to improve, we can’t just focus on the Student Association, we have to focus on Student Association and then student organizations’ feedback.

Q: Could you name an issue you believe NIU is facing and describe how the SA could help the university resolve it?

A: Students come here to NIU so that they can feel community, so that they feel like they belong, not so that they can just have fun, but so that they can grow and progress and evolve into that citizen who will be good natured and have a good job. We cannot create those if we are not instilling a sense of community or creating a communiversity. I believe that in order for students to stay, we have to have fun events, be more hands on, offering and stressing awareness of the importance of internships on campus and uplift quality professors and an inclusive community.