1. Complete an SGA Elections Agreement & Platform on UVM Clubs by March 25, 2024. Once your Elections Agreement has been processed, the Elections Chair will provide you with a link to your unique electronic Elections Petition.
2. Collect a minimum of 150 signatures via your provided SGA Election Petition by 12 PM on March 27, 2024. Note that candidates cannot begin collecting signatures until they have declared their candidacy and submitted their platform via the Elections Agreement. To ensure maximum time to collect signatures, we recommend that you complete your Elections Agreement & Platform as soon as possible.
3. Attend a mandatory Information Session via Microsoft Teams. Dates, times, and meeting links are available on the Elections Calendar (opens in a new tab).
4. Participate in the Presidential and Vice Presidential debate on March 28, 2024 at 6PM in Jost Foundation Room (4th floor, Davis Center).
5. Submit receipts for any campaign expenses to the SGA Elections Committee by March 30, 2024.

If you have additional questions or concerns, please reach out to the SGA Elections Committee Chair.

My name is Mahder Teferra and I want to be YOUR next SGA president. I'm a Junior studying Agroecology and Landscape Design and I have been the Chair of the Committee on the Environment on SGA for the past two years. Involvement on campus has been my priority since even before my time on the Senate. I work for Campus Recreation, Athletics and University Program Board, New Student Orientation as well as being a part of the development team for the Preventing Interpersonal Violence via Outreach and Training (PIVOT) program because keeping our community safe is something that is very important to me. My goals for this presidency include strengthening the relationship between SGA and the student body, continuing existing efforts on increasing the student activity fee that will allow clubs to grow and prosper, and working on getting a thrift store on campus aimed at reducing waste that goes to landfill. Living off campus has also given me a new perspective on the issues that plague the Burlington community. I find it important to balance the needs of the UVM community while also leaving a positive impact on this city and its permanent residents.Last semester, I proposed legislation to two representatives to address opioid overdoses in the Burlington community, bill(H.705) was introduced and is now sits in the House Committee on Human Services. Talks on issues such as housing and mental health are ones I have been a part of since I first joined SGA and I want to continue talking to students to work on bettering the resources we are provided. Although this position works closely with administration, my commitment and dedication to students is something that will always be a top priority. I have always preached accountability and been outspoken in my criticism of our administration's practices. I have appreciated and learned from my time on SGA and at this school so far. The connections I have made to so many communities on campus has fueled my desire to run for this position. I see this as an opportunity to be a better advocate and leave SGA stronger for future students. I love UVM because of you all, but know there is much work to be done. There is no other way I want to spend my senior year than leading this group and being a voice for the people. My email (Mahder.Teferra@uvm.edu) are always open so please reach out with anything or if you want to meet to talk! Questions, comments, concerns, I'm all ears.

PDF of Mahder's Platform

Photo of Mahder (.jpg)

I am running to be the President of the UVM Student Government Association because I believe I have the experience and skills to create a campus where every person of every identity feels valued and heard and students are included in University decision making. My name is Matt Sorensen. I am a junior at UVM from Vernon Vermont. I major in Political Science and double minor in Business Administration and Community and International Development. Since coming to campus I have looked for opportunities to make a positive impact on the UVM community. I have worked as a member of the Athletic Event Staff for 3 years, I TA CDAE 2020, I have been an orientation leader, and I have been a member of SGA for the past 3 years. I joined SGA my freshman year, and have since chaired the SGA Finance Committee and spent a year and a half as the SGA Treasurer. My work in SGA has always been focussed on making students' experience on campus better. As Treasurer I have worked closely with our 250 recognized student organizations to fund club activities and try to simplify financial processes for clubsigners. I also created a SGA club debt forgiveness program that forgave the debts of over 50 clubs which has allowed those organizations to operate more freely. Additionally, I have been working with members of the UVM Administration and club leaders to expand the resources of SGA to better support student organizations. Outside of my work within the SGA Finance Office I have spent time advocating for our underrepresented community members. I have worked with Student Financial Services to expand resources available to students who need to stay on campus over breaks and pay break housing fees. I have also written and passed two resolutions garnering student support for UVM Staff United's organizing and bargaining efforts. As President, I will be a voice for every person on campus. I have seen in my experience working with student groups on campus how important it is to include student voices in decision making. Before I announced my campaign I reached out to every SGA recognized club on campus and several other student groups to get feedback on what students wanted to see me work on and prioritize as President. I have since met with dozens of groups to listen and learn what was important to different groups. If I am elected I will use the access to administration and power that the SGA President has to uplift the voices of underrepresented communities on campus.

PDF of Matt's Platform

Hello Catamounts! My name is Liv Bednarik. I am a current sophomore studying Political Science and Sociology. Since my fall semester of Freshman year, I have had the privilege of serving as your student representative on SGA. From Senator on the Committee of Academic Affairs, to Chair of the Committee of Student Action and Wellbeing, my time on SGA has not only transformed my college experience but has introduced me to the many communities found throughout campus. During these past two years, some of my proudest moments come from the projects I have accomplished. Within this past year alone, some of my projects have included successfully leading and organizing the ad hoc for Fall '23 Week of Kindness, passing a resolution signed by students supporting UVM Staff United, and implementing an anti-bias preamble in course evaluations to mitigate bias that affects BIPOC and women faculty. With all of this, I feel as though I have the passion and the skills to be your Vice President of SGA. I'm running for Vice President because I'm confident in my ability to hold real and honest conversations with administration in the places where there are lapses in intermediary communication. I see how hard students work around this campus to call out injustices and to create a welcoming community for everyone. It's inspiring to me and I want to ensure that we don't lose that voice, that empowerment that makes people feel like they can go out and inspire real change in their community. I want more chairs at the table for everyone when this University makes decisions that affect our student body the most.

PDF of Liv's Platform

1. Complete an SGA Elections Agreement & Platform on UVM Clubs by March 25, 2024. 
2. Attend a mandatory Information Session via Microsoft Teams. Dates, times, and meeting links are available on the Elections Calendar (opens in a new tab).
3. Submit receipts for any campaign expenses to the SGA Elections Committee by March 30, 2024.

If you have additional questions or concerns, please reach out to the SGA Elections Committee Chair.

Hi UVM! My name is Megan Steele (she/her/hers), and I am running for the SGA Senate. I am originally from Gaithersburg, Maryland and am a rising junior here at UVM majoring in Secondary Education (Social Studies) and minoring in Religion. In high school, I served on the Executive Board of the Student Council as Secretary and held a few other leadership positions around the school. With the Exec Board, I helped plan student events, heard student body concerns, and helped raise money for future events. During this time, COVID was still on the newer side, so we had to be extremely flexible with plans as we maintained safety standards during the pandemic. This meant staying up to date with new regulations and having to alter events in order to make them both more accessible to students as well as safer in order for them to attend. Alongside student council, I served as co-chair of our school's No Place For Hate committee. As co-chair, I helped organize events, including a Kindness in Action Week, presented to the student body on ways we can disarm hate in our school community, and attended several meetings with members from around the US where we discussed different ways to tackle the problem of hate in schools. While this was almost 3 years ago, I still am committed to creating a safe and fun environment for all students. I am compassionate, empathetic, patient, and I would say I'm also a pretty good listener. My goal with SGA is to help facilitate student interaction around campus and to provide more opportunities for students to get to know not only each other, but their campus and city as well. If elected, I will do my best to make sure student organizations are taken care of and that new organizations are welcomed and supported. Each person on campus deserves to feel a sense of community, and I believe that I can help facilitate that with the UVM community! Some extra facts about me: I have two cats at home, Loki and Taz, I am an avid reader, I am currently learning to ski (as you can tell from my skiing picture, pizza!), and I love watching women's sports! Hope to see y'all around campus soon!

PDF of Megan's Platform

Photo of Megan (.jpg)

This will be second year on senate if I get elected for the 2024 - 2025 year. In my current term I have raised awareness about having vehicle theft prevention locks on campus and am about to solve these problems as soon as I can do it. In addition, I have helped plan sexual violence awareness month that will happen in April. I have met with the chair of CODIE every Saturday and with other various people like Elliot Ruggles to discuss about sexual violence awareness month. In addition, I have also helped other people's project by growing it into something better because when there was a senator who was working on a project for having it at the davis center in the grand maple ballroom. In addition, I have also been in the senate meetings every day and talked and used my voice for any issue or topic that was not being solved on campus. Moreover, there are so many diversity issues that need to be solved on campus and I want to use my voice to solve the diversity issues that are not being met on campus. I want to run again as a senator because I believe that there are issues that need to be solved on campus and if I get elected next year as a senator I will work hard towards solving diversity issues on campus that need to be solved. In addition, I will also work towards other issues on campus that need to be solved.

Jaden Grace for SGA. I'm Jaden. I’m a Business major. I’m from Southern Vermont. I’m a first gen student. I want to fix some things up. I have been an American Citizen Scholarship Recipient, an Active HS SGA Contributor and Treasurer, and a Special Olympics Penguin Plunge Team Captain. I am a UVM Ski and Snowboard Member, GSB Dean's Cup Finalist, and a UVM Hit Paw. I will be a First-Gen representative on SGA, promote existing first-gen resources, and increase support for first-gens in the application process. What does a senator do? Can they enact real change? If you know, do you know someone who doesn't? I will be your point of contact. The more people who know what SGA does and the change they can enact through it, the better.

PDF of Jaden's Platform

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I am running for SGA Senator because I would like to be a part of a group that is making real change in our community and I thrive in environments like that. I have noticed many things on our campus concerning accessibility, campus food, and school clubs and activities and I hope to take steps to improve the quality of life for every student on campus.The main characteristics that would enable me to thrive as a student leader are my communication and group working skills. I am hardworking and able to collaborate with many people while having an open mind. I was in a project-based learning program in high school that gave me a lot of experience working in group settings about school-wide issues. I was able to take the role of leader during many of these projects and found that I thrived in that role. I led the creation of an inclusion and diversity mural in our high school and I facilitated many group research projects including one on glass and single-stream recycling. In each of these projects, I was able to foster a collaborative environment that enabled diverse perspectives to be heard, respected, and productive together. I have found that my personality allows me to bond with people from all different demographics. I enjoy meeting new people and I feel like this role will allow me to do so. I was also part of a leadership counsel focused on learning in new and innovative ways. There was only one student from each high school grade to join this leadership counsel and the application process was similar to this one. I worked directly with teachers and administration from the entire school district to foster growth and innovation.While UVM does alot to improve the student and campus experience, I do think there are several areas where there is room for improvement. The school's accessibility for students with disabilities and the distribution of quality food throughout the campus. In terms of accessibility, our school lacks many resources that would make it easier for people with physical disabilities. Many of the living community buildings don't have any sort of elevator and ones that do often have them shut off or down in fear of students using them wrongly. On campus, there are ramps and elevators around, but most ramps are very hard to traverse during the cold and icy winter months and the elevators or inside ramps are often very far out of the way or completely inaccessible. Since I arrived at UVM, I and many others have found the food at the dining halls lacking. For places like Trinity and Redstone, the remoteness of the living communities doesn't allow for access to all of the dining halls. The options at a place like Northside Dining are often very slim with only one hot option, the salad bar, a pancake station to fill up the students on Trinity. Whether or not you think this is enough food, the quality of most of the options is lacking. These are the main issues I would like to look into if selected as a senator. I hope you will agree that I would be a great fit for a SGA Senator position and I hope you consider me for this position.

PDF of James's Platform

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My name is Matisse(he/him) and I’m a freshman from Iowa City, Iowa majoring in Environmental Studies in the honors college here at UVM. In addition to SGA, I currently am a member of the on-campus competitive a capella group Viridescent and work at Henderson's Cafe in the Davis Center. I joined SGA here after participating in high school student government and Iowa Youth Congress for two years. Some of the projects that I hope to continue working on if reelected are an initiative to get more drinking fountains in dorm buildings, a student TEDX speaker series, and improving the end-of-year dorm move-out recycling efforts. This year, I have also helped plan Earth Week events including a clothing swap and free screen printing activity. I have learned so much as a first-year Senator on the Committee on the Environment, but also still see so many opportunities for sustainable improvement across campus. UVM prides itself on being a green campus, but I think there are ways that the university can be held accountable so that the campus-wide policies stay aligned with that mission. I enjoy talking to many different groups of new people, and what I have learned is the most valuable as a Senator is the ability to actively listen. I maintain my promise to seek out the perspectives of all students before voting on any decision because I am a Senator elected to serve the entire student body.

I think it would be cool if I made it.

1) My main reason for running for SGA Senate is to be a voice for the student body! This is so important to me because being a part of SGA senate means being a part of something bigger than myself that creates and contributes to positive change around campus! 2) I am very passionate about everything I do making it the best it can be, I am a great communicator and can advocate well for others as well as myself, and I am very dedicated to making UVM a better place for everyone! 3) I was very engaged with student government and advocating for student voice throughout high school and was the elected student representative on the school board. 4) I am particularly passionate about focusing on student mental health and well-being. I believe that everyone deserves to feel safe and have a sense of belonging wherever they are, especially here at UVM.

PDF of Sara's Platform

Hi! My name is McKenna Halvorson. I am a sophomore from Minnesota studying political science and psychology. I currently serve on the SGA club affairs committee and am running for re-election. I am passionate about increasing the diversity of voices at UVM, increasing the accessibility + sustainability of our campus, and improving campus safety. Specifically, I have concerns with the accessibility of our campus and want to ensure UVM is available for all. This includes making sure the elevators are working 24/7. I also know that the absence of a reliable blue-light system is a major concern for students. I will works towards a better system for safety on campus. An additional project idea I have is expanding the dining hall hours to accommodate different schedules. Over the past year, I have worked on implementing an emergency contraception vending machine in the Davis Center as a low-cost, accessible resource. I am happy to say that this resource will be available to students in Fall 2024!! Additionally, I worked with the club affairs committee over the past year to strengthen relations with clubs. My first step towards this goal was the creation of a club affairs email to streamline communication. I understand that the creation of an email won't eliminate all communication barriers; however, I believe it is a great start. If re-elected, I will continue to increase transparency and communication between students and SGA. I will implement an anonymous submissions form for students to submit any suggestions they have for how SGA can better support them. During the next year, I am eager to continue the work for both of these projects! I understand the importance of advocacy work and will not stop until our needs are met. If elected, I will serve the UVM student body with respect, passion, and integrity. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or comments! Hope to hear from you!! McKenna Halvorson (mhalvors@uvm.edu)

PDF of McKenna's Platform

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Hello UVM! My name is Lauren Knopp, I use she/her pronouns, I am a part of the class of 2027 and I am from Nashua, New Hampshire.I grew up in Ocean View, New Jersey and many of my experiences as a leader have been in an educational setting in New Jersey. I served on the Ocean City Board of Education, the New Jersey Board of Education, and was a research assistant for the National Association of State boards of Education. Through this work, I was able to review curriculum on the district level, review state learning standards on the state level, and explore the issues of mental health in public education on the national level, developing and outlining an action plan to certify more school psychologists. I have presented research to the CDC and ChildTrends and published an article on technology in eduction in The State Education Standard. As a potential senator, there on category of issues in particular I would like to focus on: academic issues. This would include anything under the umbrella of course registration, course over-enrollment, and class availability. At my high school, I was a part of a task force assigned the job of amending course registration issues, as the enrollment numbers for core courses exceeded 40 students while others would lull at around 5. In addition to this, some teachers were forced to work more hours than their contract stated. By the time I graduated, all core courses hovered between 15-25 students and teachers had course-loads comparable to other teachers within their same discipline in Cape May County and Atlantic County. I hope that I can help amend issues with the academic setting.I am running for SGA senate because I believe that continuously working towards the betterment of an organization is always worth the time and effort. I am diligent in everything that I do, and I can promise you that I will do everything within my power and experience to better the academic experience of UVM students if elected.A little bit extra about me: I love to ski and snowshoe (smuggs for life), I love to read fantasy books, and I love nothing more than going cafe hopping with a good book and some money for "window shopping". I'm a math and computer science major currently (although I've been thinking about switching to economics). See you around campus, and vote Lauren Knopp for SGA Senator!

PDF of Lauren's Platform

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After serving on the Finance Committee this past year, I have found that there are changes that need to implemented with clubs and their budgets. I am running for my position of senator in order to help fill the gaps between what clubs need and the resources we have. The student experience is incredibly special and is what sets UVM apart from other universities. This experience needs to be fostered and student involvement does just that. It is for students, by students, and that is what keeps enrollment coming. Serving on SGA, being my sorority's Treasurer, and attenting various club meetings has made me realize what is needed on campus, what needs attention, and what UVM can do without. Having this experience makes me feel prepared to ensure that clubs feel supported and worthwhile.

Joining the Student Government Associates presents an extraordinary opportunity for me to engage in various impactful ways. It offers a platform where I can represent the voices of my fellow students and contribute to the betterment of our community. What distinguishes SGA from other leadership roles is its unique ability to facilitate connections with a diverse array of individuals who bring rich perspectives and backgrounds. I am particularly drawn to the prospect of collaborating with such a dynamic group of people dedicated to effecting positive change.I deeply value qualities like hard work, diversity, and community progress. The prospect of extending a helping hand to those in need and fostering a safer, more inclusive environment resonates strongly with me. My experiences, including serving as a senator during my junior year of high school (my third and final year), participating in BLM protests, and embodying various Disney princess roles for children's events. I have exceptional experience working with people pertaining to various backgrounds, which have equipped me with the skills and empathy necessary to thrive in this role.As a political science major, I am particularly drawn to SGA's Committee on Legislative and Community Affairs due to its alignment with my interests and values. I admire their initiatives, such as community clean-ups, clothing drives, and efforts to support the homeless population. I am confident that my dedication and enthusiasm make me a strong candidate for this position, and I would be honored to have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to SGA's mission. Thank you for considering my application.

Hi! My name is Maddi Rice, and I am a member of the class of 2027 studying Economics with hopes of pursuing a career in law. I am running for a position in the SGA Senate to empower the student body by listening to their voices and actively delivering effective change. I will strive to push UVM to reach its utmost potential and the pinnacle of quality with all its endeavors - academic, athletic, artistic, cultural, and much more. I am not afraid to speak up, and I will use my leadership skills and positivity to achieve beneficial results for everyone. I am currently a Senator serving on both the Finance and Judicial committees; two opportunities that have nurtured my communication skills and attention to detail. I will continue to use those skills as a Senator in the 2024-25 term to better UVM and the surrounding community. In the process of reviewing budgets and supplemental requests with my Finance committee colleagues, I help to ensure that all clubs on campus have the financial ability to help their members and the UVM student body explore their interests. This semester, I also helped plan events for Sexual Violence Awareness Month (SVAM). From that experience, I built campus connections that I will utilize as a Senator next year. Furthermore, in high school, I interned at the Connecticut Council of Governments working with economic advisors analyzing data to determine areas in need of economic development. I also led a project with the Sustainable Connecticut organization to research the construction of a solar carport at my school. As Senator, I am hoping to serve on the Finance committee again. I will continue the work of making the budgeting process as accessible as possible and ensuring that clubs are properly funded. Going hand in hand with that is my goal of securing more funds for student activities so that we can better fund clubs and accurately reflect rising costs. It is also important to continue the work of connecting more UVM students to local governments to ensure that their input is taken into consideration. In addition, I will work towards ensuring increased reliability of the elevators in the Residence Halls to maximize accessibility. As Senator, I am committed to advocating for your concerns and working my hardest to ensure our college community thrives and every voice is heard. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me, and vote Maddi Rice for SGA Senator!

PDF of Maddi's Platform

Hello! My name is Rubi Espejo and I am a first-year political science major here at UVM. I have previously served on SGA during this spring semester on the Club Affairs Committee, and I will continue to uphold the values of an SGA member upon reelection. My main purpose for running for SGA Senate is to help better the student environment at UVM through improving diversity efforts, as well as improving connections in our community of Burlington. As our institution is dedicated to improving connections with Burlington, the state of Vermont, as well as across the country, UVM can play a huge role as a state institution and that starts with the students. As I am in a new place, one of my goals has been to make connections with individuals to better my experience, as well as to learn and improve as an individual. I have always been a leader not just with school organizations but even in my own community. I am a very personable person as well, and I feel that this trait makes it easy to connect to people, especially in a professional setting. In the past, I have been involved with organizations such as the Cultural Competence Committee, Leadership Congress, a coach for Unified Sports, as well as a Student Representative for my district's Board of Education. With all those experiences, it has helped me gain a better perspective of a wide range of issues and experiences that contributes to how I move forward as an individual today. As I have previously mentioned, diversity is a very important topic to me. My father is Cuban and Mexican, and my mother is Irish and French-Canadian, but they raised both me and my brother bilingual. Our culture is extremely important to my family, and as I discover myself in this new home, I want to make sure other people feel as comfortable here with their culture as they would at home. To touch more on connecting with the community, I think that having community outreach is very important to the students here at UVM. To make it more accessible or easier for students to be involved would be great, and even to connect with Vermont legislators. By serving on SGA, I will take in any and every prospective student perspective to improve the way SGA can help the University. Thank you so much and feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns!

PDF of Rubi's Platform

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Hi Everyone! My name is David Richardson and I am running to be re-elected to SGA Senate! For a bit of background on myself, I am from Saint Johnsbury, Vermont, and I am majoring in Political Science and Economics. This past semester I served on the Committee for Student Action and Wellbeing, where I played a role in helping plan and organize Week of Kindness. I also served on the Judicial Committee, where I was able to write and pass a bill amending the impeachment process in the SGA Constitution. The main reason I ran for Senate was to be an advocate for low-income students on and off campus. I come from a low-income background, so I understand the transition to college can be stressful if you are dealing with financial insecurity. If re-elected, I hope to continue advocating for support systems around campus to help students who come from a modest-income background. On top of my leadership experience being an SGA Senator, I also serve as the facilitator for the Vermont State GEAR UP Alumni Advisory Committee. GEAR UP is a federally funded program through the United States Department of Education that supports first-generation and modest-income high school students in pursuing a college education. Having been an alumni of the program, I served as a member of the inaugural committee this past year. As we enter our second term of the committee, I was hired to be one of the facilitators, responsible for leading and organizing monthly meetings. The committee is aimed at providing an alumni perspective in the development of new programming to support current high school students. My work with GEAR UP and SGA have often been intertwined, while in different organizations, both leadership positions have offered me the platform to advocate on behalf of a population of students that are undersupported in college education. Through working on the Alumni Advisory Committee, I have had the chance to represent UVM and SGA in talking to various educational leaders around the state of Vermont about the struggles low-income and first-generation students face. This April, I will also have the opportunity to represent SGA and UVM when I give a presentation at the New England Educational Opportunity Association Conference on empowering students as agents of change within our communities. While I only have one year left at UVM, I hope to spend it working on SGA, continuing to advocate for low-income and first-generation students around campus and the state of Vermont. Thank you so much for your consideration, and feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. See you around campus, and re-elect David Richardson to SGA Senate!

PDF of David's Platform

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Hello! My name is Kennedy Connors, and I'm running for the Student Government Association Senate. I was lucky enough to be elected in the Fall, and my continual dedication to UVM students and staff hasn't faltered. I'm currently a member of SGA's Club Affairs committee, and through countless one-on-one meetings with clubs and tabling events, I've witnessed the infectious passion UVM students hold. I want to do everything in my power to continue uplifting this spirit and give even more students the chance to find the best-fitting organization for them. Since being elected, I've joined committees for SpringFest, Sexual Violence Awareness Month, and SGA's Public Relations. In these groups, I've learned how to advocate for students and how to plan resources and events. Outside of this, I've worked on a handful of projects such as looking at new safety initiatives, creating a campus thrift store to reduce UVM's environmental footprint, and planning a fall market for Burlington and campus vendors. I hope to continue this work in the upcoming school year and will always be looking for additional ways to better the student experience. Through SGA, I've grown to love our student body even more and hope to continue to enhance it in any way I can. Thank you!

PDF of Kennedy's Platform

Re-Elect Cameron Laychak: Safe, Healthy Living. Insta: lcamoronl Email: claychak@uvm.edu About Me: I'm a life long vermonter and avid skier. Im currently studying political science, and hoping to go to law school in the future. during my high school career I was an active member of my school newspaper, becoming editor-in-Chief my junior and senior year. I also contributed to the INSTITUTION of the equity policy at my high school. I believe regardless of what your situation is; you should be supported, succeed and thrive at UVM. What I’m Fighting For: -Asbestos Action. -Creating a healthy campus environment for all. -Opposing tiered housing. -Improved transparency in SGA and UVM admin. What Ive Done: Over the course of the short time I have been on SGA I have worked with and requested asbestos records from the Enviromental Health and Safety Office. My goal is to fully understand where asbestos is on campus and how it is being managed. In a second term I will continue this project. Making sure student housing is safe for students is my top priority.

PDF of Cameron's Platform

My name is Andrew Ranallo, and I am a second-year political science major at UVM. I am running for a Senatorial position in the Student Government Association because I want to get more involved in the UVM community in order to make a positive difference for my classmates. I am interested in strengthening the University’s commitment to making UVM a safe and welcoming environment for all students. My goal is to be a transparent advocate for all students regarding any issue that might concern them. This is my second year running for a senatorial position on the University of Vermont Student Government Association. During my second semester, I was elected to the Finance Committee, where I have continued to serve for the past three semesters. As a previous member of the Finance Committee, I have worked hard to remain fair and impartial for all students groups, clubs, and organizations. If reelected, I will continue my work on the Finance Committee and push to make SGA's financial policies more open and transparent for the student body.

PDF of Andrew's Platform

Hi! My name is Zorianna Petrosyan. I am a sophomore from MA pursuing an Individually-Designed Major in the arts with minors in Political Science and Psychology. I am running for SGA Senate for a second term to build upon my existing work and continue to advocate for students. Since eighth grade, I have been involved in student government, School Council, and I was even the sole student representative for my town's School Committee at one point. Throughout high school and beyond, I have been a student leader working to advance initiatives such as later school start times, increased youth involvement in activism/service, and visibility for under-represented students. I am a strong communicator - empathy comes naturally to me and gives me the ability to listen and collaborate with those who have different views than mine. I am also not afraid to be outspoken about issues I care or have concerns about, especially if they deal with injustice. In every group I am a part of, I am deeply dedicated to democratic leadership (regardless of what position I hold) and encouraging others to be active community members invested in creating positive change.At UVM, I work as a Program Assistant for UVM Civic Engagement (CE) - a program area in Student Life—planning events pertaining to voter registration, social justice, and community-building. The first event I planned was a successful mindfulness workshop and mixer in May 2023, geared towards combating finals week stress. I am also the Vice President of the Armenian Students Association (ASA), where I raise awareness along with other ASA members about Armenian issues such as the crisis in Artsakh.On SGA, I have worked on and voted to pass resolutions such as Resolution Reaffirming Support for UVM Staff United and Resolution Addressing President Garimella's Response to Campus Conflicts. If I am elected for another term, I hope to work on a few key projects to improve the well-being of the UVM community. These projects include establishing mental health days for students, faculty, and staff; expanding dining and grocery options on campus; and uplifting under-represented student voices (including but not limited to students who hold one or more of the following identities: Armenian, BIPOC, LBGTQ+, Palestinian, Jewish, Muslim, and disabled.)I have greatly valued my time on SGA so far, and I hope you will re-elect me so I continue working to serve our amazing UVM community! Thank you!

PDF of Zorianna's Platform

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My name is Emily Garcia, and I am a first year Political Science major. I served on SGA this past year on the Committee on Legislative and Community Affairs and absolutely loved the work I got to do. As part of my responsibilities I attended Burlington Neighborhood Planning Associations, met with community leaders to create relationships between UVM and the City of Burlington, and explored Safe Ride options for students on campus. Currently, I am working with two of my fellow senators to increase and improve orientation resources for incoming students of color. Through partnerships with the MOSAIC Center, Counseling and Psychiatry Services, and Orientation staff we are planning to incorporate MOSAIC Center tours and events into the Orientation as well as make counselors of color more accessible to the communities they represent. I am deeply dedicated to advocating for student interests and opinions on campus, and ensuring that all students have the ability to access the resources necessary for them to be successful in their time here at UVM. If reelected, I plan to continue my work advocating for underrepresented students here on campus. Retaining and supporting these communities not only benefits them and their futures, but adds to our campus culture and perspectives. In more concrete terms, I will continue working to improve orientation programming, contact other identity centers and student bodies to meet their needs on campus, and promote education among administration. I am also planning to create programming for student leaders on campus, to help facilitate project ideas, and connect students who hope to see similar initiatives on campus. Serving as a part of SGA has been an incredibly informative and inspiring experience, and I would be ecstatic to have the ability to continue my work.

PDF of Emily's Platform

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Hi everyone! My name is Magdalena, and I'm a first-year College of Nursing major with a minor in Theater. I'm running for re-election in the UVM Student Government Association because I love to communicate with people and problem-solve. I consider myself an extreme extrovert. I never shy away from a tough conversation and seek to find the best solution for everyone involved.  When I see something that needs to be changed, I believe it's important to find ways to create change from within.In high school I was Treasurer of our Student Council, Vice President of our NHS chapter, and a founding member of a club called the Feminist Collective, which tackled gender equity related issues that students experienced on campus (e.g., making period products freely available and spreading awareness about sexual violence). During my first year on the SGA, I have been working to make sure sexual violence prevention resources are more accessible across campus. Right now I'm involved in the Sexual Violence Awareness Month (SVAM) committee, which is planning events for SVAM in April. I hope to continue this work into the new school year, beginning with a focus on first-year student safety during the transition to college.Since I have two diverse areas of study at UVM, I believe I can help more broadly represent the class of 2027, sharing our ideas with the SGA in a meaningful way. As a first-year student experiencing living on her own for the first time, I believe making students aware of the amazing resources UVM has--and making them easier to access--should be a priority. If re-elected to SGA, I will continue to work toward helping us all create the most healthy and happy community we can be.

PDF of Magdalena's Platform

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Hi everyone! My name is Merrick Modun, and I am a freshman and political science major. I am from Montpelier, Vermont! I have been a senator on SGA since last fall, and I am running for re-election to continue working for YOU. I am on the Club Affairs Committee, which helps guide potential and current clubs through various administrative processes. We are all aware that there are a lot of areas where UVM can do better, and I am very excited to continue working on a variety of meaningful projects to help improve our collective experience. If I am re-elected, my agenda for the upcoming year includes reforms to the student conduct process, boosting SGA’s connection with elected VT officials, continuing UVM’s commitment to sustainability and the environment, better connecting LGBTQ+ groups in SGA, and enhancing student voice in the administration's policies. For some more background on myself, I am the president of the UVM College Democrats and a former member of my local school board. I previously ran for state representative from Montpelier, and I have worked for Vermont's Secretary of State. I have always been someone who wants to fix problems, which is why I hope to earn your support in this upcoming election. There is a lot we still have to do, and I know that with compassion, a dedication to listening, and hard work, we can do just that!Thank you all for reading! Please reach out if you have any questions. You can reach me at mmodun@uvm.edu or (802) 461-3902.

PDF of Merrick's Platform

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Hey y'all! Having been a senator throughout this past Sophomore year, I've had the pleasure and privilege to work on a number of projects aimed towards improving the quality of life of students, student advocacy, public safety, and sustainability that have been beneficial to the student body and to our UVM community as a whole. These have included fighting food insecurity via establishing a meal donation program that targets and prevents food waste from dining halls, working with the Sustainable Campus Fund to create sustainable and beautifying landscape projects across campus, fighting for more seating and benches, and sponsoring a resolution aimed towards improving public safety of students. I'm passionate about the projects I choose to pursue and would love to continue this representative work into my junior year. Thanks, and I hope you vote for passion, professionalism, and productivity.

PDF of Nathan's Platform

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Hello everyone! Please continue to support me and re-elect me for my third term representing YOU, and take a look at the attached PDF to see some of what I've been working on this past term and what I'd be looking to prioritize going into the new term. I feel like a large part of what I've been working on recently has focused on really elevating and pushing directly on behalf of the student voice, and especially looking at how these concerns are received and responded to by administration. I'd like to continue this line of work through some ongoing and new projects, working towards addressing important issues for students such as sexual assault resources/supports and suicide awareness/prevention work.

PDF of Catherine's Platform

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Hi! My name is Polina and I'm a sophomore studying Economics and Russian. I am running for SGA Senate to be a voice for the student body that draws from my own experiences while listening to the perspectives around me. Having personally experienced not only success but also challenges at UVM, I empathize with the diverse experiences of my peers, including struggles in many different spheres of university life. My strength lies in my ability to understand that there is a spectrum of experiences at UVM and I pride myself in being able to consider opposing viewpoints. As a resilient person, I strive to be adaptable and determined, qualities essential for effective leadership. I actively participate in student life through clubs, and my academic experience has equipped me with analytical skills. I intend to use a pragmatic approach to problem-solving in addressing community issues. I plan to be active in sustainability efforts, such as reducing single-use dining ware. I also plan on enhancing financial literacy among students, increasing transparency with club budgets, and making fundraising an easier endeavor at UVM. Additionally, I recognize the growing influence of AI in academia. Therefore, I plan to enact initiatives to guide its responsible use in classrooms, fostering a culture of academic integrity. As UVM evolves, I am dedicated to representing the evolving needs of our student body, striving to ensure that every voice is heard and every concern is addressed. You can reach me at pzubarev@uvm.edu. Thank you for your support!

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I’m running for SGA because I’ve grown to love UVM over my first year. When I came here I was a scared kid from the other side of the country who wasn’t sure if this would work out. I’m not that person anymore. I know who I am and I know that this is the school for me. Considering that, I’m doing everything in my power to make this place the best it can possibly be. UVM has treated me well, and I want other students here to have that same feeling of safety and security when they wake up in their dorm rooms, ready to get one day closer to who they are supposed to become. I’m a strong leader because of my experiences. I have been on the Student Council every year since middle school. I have worked with elected officials in Arizona to guarantee water rights to less affluent areas outside of Phoenix. I was also one of the first members of environmental student unions. Where my team was in charge of successfully installing a $1 million solar panel on campus to reduce our energy by nearly 50%. I was also elected to SGA in spring and have done much work funding new clubs and submitting my main project of developing new bike rack locations on Trinity Campus. I also have one-of-a-kind people skills. I love to talk, and I love to talk to others. I am energized when I get to talk to someone and this has led me to meeting a massive amount of students, faculty, and politicians. I never get tired of hearing a new voice and I love that every single person has a different life they get to share with me. I am not shy to speak and will never make it through a room without getting a story from each person in it. I’m interested in potential solutions on campus to issues regarding the environment and school relations to the greater Burlington area. I was drawn to UVM for their reputation of being one of the great sustainability schools, and I intend to keep that reputation sound. I also want to be involved with developing UVM’s relationships with the Burlington as a whole. I want to do my part to establish a better connection between students on campus and the areas around them to build a community of respect and collaboration to make Burlington a better place for everyone to live.

1) My main purpose for running for SGA Senate is to open new perspectives, make voices heard, and sustain or change the way operations around UVM are dealt with. I'd like to stand by the students, and be a leading figure in the advocating for upcoming changes on campus to make sure the people get what they want and deserve. 2) The reason I feel I'd be a strong student leader is my confidence. I might not know what to do or how to make it happen, but I can always ensure that I'll try to find a way to make it happen if it's a vision I believe in. Drive and grit is something I value much more than experience, and so should you because the whole point of the SGA is to experience new things and make changes for the better. 3) First time's a charm :) 4) You tell me. 5) no

Currently, I am a first-year political science and public communication leader. Growing up I always knew I wanted to work in government and help make a difference where I could. In middle school and high school I was on my school government. I will admit, some years I did not get elected, some I did. Despite some loses, I stayed true to what I wanted to do and reworked my campaign speeches to make it clear what I wanted to do. I made sure my grade felt listened to and that everyone got a chance to share their ideas. My main purpose for running for SGA Senate is because I want to be more involved with students at this school and make sure their voices are being heard. I want to make sure everyone feels seen, and that this school is actively making decisions to benefit them.

Hello! My name is Robert Demeo (he/him), and I'm a first-year Political Science major/Psychology minor from Texas but raised in Germany.My main purpose for running is that for too long, administration has made decisions without consulting the SGA, and, in turn, the student body - with the side effect of widely unpopular decisions that are at odds with student needs and wishes being imposed, with the most notable example being the decision to tier housing in the upcoming year. As a representative of the student body, I intend to ensure your place in discussions with administration.I intend to deliver on my promises once in office - here's how. One of the first things I intend to do is engage directly with our non-SGA student representatives on the Board of Trustees - I intend to be a point person/center for that dialogue. Moreover, it will be a priority of mine to increase SGA's engagement levels with the student body, to increase its leverage in negotiations and discussions with administration. SGA cannot call itself the student body's voice if it isn’t acutely aware of their needs and wants. To that end, I intend to advocate for the institution of “town halls” where students can voice their concerns directly to their SGA representatives.With a year of dedicated service to my high school's Executive Board as its Secretary, 3 years of Model U.S. Senate experience (including a year as part of Senate Leadership), 4 years of extensive and varied leadership experience in Junior ROTC, and an honors graduate, I come prepared to give my fellow Catamounts a seat at the table. I am hardworking, strong-willed, and well-versed in parliamentary procedure through my history on Model Senate - something I think gives me an edge. As someone who was fortunate enough to have spent my lifetime overseas, I am also able to contribute a global, intercultural perspective to the SGA that it currently lacks.Thank you for your time and attention! I can be reached at rdemeo@uvm.edu or on Instagram @robertttdemeo. I hope you will consider me to represent you!

PDF of Robert's Platform

1. As a rising senior during Fall 2024, I have experienced three full undergraduate years being an active student, athlete, and club member within organizations/ groups on campus. Because of my involvement, I possess a deep understanding of the dynamics and needs of our student community. Amplification of valuable opinions and thoughts of the student body is something I am eager to become involved with. I am passionate about making positive changes and improvements that represent all students, and I see serving in the SGA Senate at UVM as a direct way to contribute to the expansion and improvement of the campus.2. I believe I possess many characteristics that make me an effective leader. I can adapt to many different environments of working environments, whether that be independent or in collaboration with my peers, and I always have been a problem solver. I am both creative and logical, and have experience in leading and contributing in clubs at UVM such as Climate Action Collective, Beekeeping Club, Yarn Club, and Art Club. I am dedicated, responsible, and organized with proven ability to effective collaborate with varieties of personalities and individuals (I have many years of food service experience which is where this strength roots from). I am approachable, and a creative, and efficient, communicator, crucial traits for me to represent fellow students and representing them effectively within the senate.3. My involvement with the Climate Action Collective has expanded my ability to tackle complex environmental and political issues. Moreover, my background in Environmental Studies and Political Science, complemented by three years of summer employment at a law firm, equips me with a range of professional skills crucial for Senate responsibilities. From communication and interpersonal skills to attention to detail and administrative proficiency, I am well-prepared to support and advance the Senate's agenda in serving our student community.4. I am most interested in contributing to The Committee on the Environment (CoE). I am an Environmental Studies major and Political Science minor at University of Vermont, and have dedicated to the majority of my undergraduate learning about the synergies between the climate crisis/ environmental issues and Environmental diplomacy and legislation. I am an active member of Climate Action Collection, and have participated in many projects including mobilizing against McNeil- which included discussing with Hannah King regarding the deterrence of promoting the expansion/ proceedings of the McNeil Pipeline. Contributing to the student body living sustainably and healthy is my main goal, and I know that I can synergize social and political implications which environmental issues bring up through ideas. 5. Thank you for considering my application. I am extremely excited for this potential opportunity to serve as a member of the Senate and contribute to positive and effective change on our campus. With my unique perspective and background, leadership abilities, socialization strengths, and dedication to environmental sustainability, I am confident that I can effectively represent the interests and aspirations of our student body within the Senate.

Hi! My name is Chiara Petracek (she/her) and I am a first-year neuroscience major and political science minor from Carlisle, Massachusetts. I'm running to be an SGA senator because I want to become more involved with the UVM community and contribute to making UVM a more accessible and welcoming place for all students. At UVM, I am a member of the rowing team and I am excited to be joining a research lab next semester. I am confident in reaching out to and communicating with people regardless of whether I know them previously or not. Additionally, I am comfortable speaking my mind and advocating for what I believe in. I am a very good multitasker and can focus on multiple projects at once without sacrificing the quality of my work. If I am elected, I am especially interested in participating in the management and supervision of SGA clubs. Clubs have been a very important part of my time at UVM, and I want to help make sure they have the support and resources they need to function smoothly. I hope you consider me!

Hi! My name is Thomas Peterson, I am a sophomore studying political science and minoring in psychology. I want to be your UVM SGA Senator because I want to get more involved in UVM, engage with the student body on issues that matter to them, and understand the back-end bureaucratic processes that are in place. The prior experience that has led me to seek a Senate seat is that I was the president of my class back in high school, as well as secretary of the Student Council, and I was a member of the Berkshire County (Massachusetts) District Attorney’s Youth Advisory Board. Those experiences have allowed me to work with people who I barely know improving my communication skills; and, they allowed me to make tough decisions that weren’t always popular, but needed to be made. As part of the Youth Advisory Board, I was tasked with working with other people from all over Berkshire County and organizing a conference for eighth graders where we did activities with them teaching them about bias and acceptance of others. Although, I would be a new Senator, my past experiences have taught me the necessary tools to be an effective Senator for you, the people who truly make UVM great! As president, I led many ceremonies, held meetings with my team, and managed my class’ finances. As secretary of the student council, I learned more organizational skills that allowed me to keep detailed records of meetings and the council's affairs. As part of the Youth Advisory Board, I learned how to work with people whom I barely knew to produce a good product in a limited amount of time. All of these experiences have, together, taught me the most important thing about government, working with other people. I have my ideas, as everyone else has theirs, and working well with others in an effective and efficient environment is vital to success. I believe that teamwork does make the dream work, and at UVM anything is possible! Please elect me, Thomas Peterson, as your next SGA Senator!

Hello! My name is Nora Carroll-Millins and I am a first-year nursing student from Norwell Massachusetts. Over my first year, I have loved getting to know all the great aspects of UVM but also our faults. I am running for SGA in hopes of improving the student experience. Through my dedication and passion to UVM, I am excited to hopefully play a bigger part in change for UVM. I consider myself very personable, can work well collaboratively, and hardworking. Thank you for your consideration.

Hi UVM! My name is Carter Purple, and I am currently a junior here at UVM. I also presently serve as the Vice President of SGA, a year-long role that has been so fulfilling and rewarding to me. I have one semester left here at UVM, and I want to spend it serving the student body one more time. I joined SGA the first few weeks of my freshman year, and I’ve been on it ever since. Getting involved on the UVM campus in this capacity was the best choice I made. The advocacy and work I’ve been able to help with has been energizing. Getting to know the campus inside and out, the students, the staff, the faculty, the administration, and the community has been incredible. I spent my sophomore year as the Speaker of the Senate. Between that role and Vice President, I’ve been a part of some really meaningful action here at UVM. Some examples are: Going to the State House to advocate for democratizing the Board of Trustees Serving on many job searches for important administrative positions Re-implementing the scribe position to publish the SGA minutes for the student body to see Beginning the Student Leadership Board for more transparency with student leadership groups Advocacy on important topics such as the university’s response to campus conflicts and housing issues such as the tiered housing plan Planning leadership development events for SGA, such as the semesterly retreats And so much more. In my final semester, I’m hoping to turn my attention back to some of the finer details. There are passions and projects of mine I have been unable to pursue in my other roles due to other responsibilities. One of the most important issues to me is this new tiered housing plan. I am hoping to help spearhead a response to the administration to the shortcomings of this plan and their failure, in my opinion, to adequately source student feedback. Other things I am passionate about for the upcoming year include the status of the Burlington-UVM MOU regarding building new housing and helping the new senators maximize their potential as student leaders based on my previous experiences. I hope you will all consider voting for me! Please feel free to reach out to me with an yquestions, comments or concerns. My email is cpurple@uvm.edu and my phone number is 978-846-0759, I’m more than happy to chat about anything! This week, vote for me in the SGA Elections! Thank you for your time and have a great rest of your semester! Sincerely, Carter Purple

PDF of Carter's Platform

Hello UVM! My name is Lauren Knopp, I use she/her pronouns, I am a part of the class of 2027 and I am from Nashua, New Hampshire. I grew up in Ocean View, New Jersey and many of my experiences as a leader have been in an educational setting in New Jersey. I served on the Ocean City Board of Education, the New Jersey Board of Education, and was a research assistant for the National Association of State boards of Education. Through this work, I was able to review curriculum on the district level, review state learning standards on the state level, and explore the issues of mental health in public education on the national level, developing and outlining an action plan to certify more school psychologists. I have presented research to the CDC and ChildTrends and published an article on technology in education in The State Education Standard. As a potential senator, there one category of issues in particular I would like to focus on: academic issues. This would include anything under the umbrella of course registration, course over-enrollment, and class availability. At my high school, I was a part of a task force assigned the job of amending course registration issues, as the enrollment numbers for core courses exceeded 40 students while others would lull at around 5. In addition to this, some teachers were forced to work more hours than their contract stated. By the time I graduated, all core courses hovered between 15-25 students and teachers had course-loads comparable to other teachers within their same discipline in Cape May County and Atlantic County. I hope that I can help amend issues with the academic setting. I am running for SGA senate because I believe that continuously working towards the betterment of an organization is always worth the time and effort. I am diligent in everything that I do, and I can promise you that I will do everything within my power and experience to better the academic experience of UVM students if elected. A little bit extra about me: I love to ski and snowshoe (smuggs for life), I love to read fantasy books, and I love nothing more than going cafe hopping with a good book and some money for window shopping. I'm a math and computer science major currently (although I've been thinking about switching to economics). See you around campus, and vote Lauren Knopp for SGA Senator!

PDF of Lauren's Platform

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I am running for SGA Senator because I would like to be a part of a group that is making real change in our community and I thrive in environments like that. I have noticed many things on our campus concerning accessibility, campus food, and school clubs and activities and I hope to take steps to improve the quality of life for every student on campus. The main characteristics that would enable me to thrive as a student leader are my communication and group working skills. I am hardworking and able to collaborate with many people while having an open mind. I was in a project-based learning program in high school that gave me a lot of experience working in group settings about school-wide issues. I was able to take the role of leader during many of these projects and found that I thrived in that role. I led the creation of an inclusion and diversity mural in our high school and I facilitated many group research projects including one on glass and single-stream recycling. In each of these projects, I was able to foster a collaborative environment that enabled diverse perspectives to be heard, respected, and productive together. I have found that my personality allows me to bond with people from all different demographics. I enjoy meeting new people and I feel like this role will allow me to do so. I was also part of a leadership council focused on learning in new and innovative ways. There was only one student from each high school grade to join this leadership council and the application process was similar to this one. I worked directly with teachers and administration from the entire school district to foster growth and innovation. While UVM does a lot to improve the student and campus experience, I do think there are several areas where there is room for improvement. The school’s accessibility for students with disabilities and the distribution of quality food throughout the campus. In terms of accessibility, our school lacks many resources that would make it easier for people with physical disabilities. Many of the living community buildings don’t have any sort of elevator and ones that do often have them shut off or down in fear of students using them wrongly. On campus, there are ramps and elevators around, but most ramps are very hard to traverse during the cold and icy winter months and the elevators or inside ramps are often very far out of the way or completely inaccessible. Since I arrived at UVM, I and many others have found the food at the dining halls lacking. For places like Trinity and Redstone, the remoteness of the living communities doesn’t allow for access to all of the dining halls. The options at a place like Northside Dining are often very slim with only one hot option, the salad bar, and a pancake station to fill up the students on Trinity. Whether or not you think this is enough food, the quality of most of the options is lacking. These are the main issues I would like to look into if selected as a senator. I hope you will agree that I would be a great fit for an SGA Senator position and I hope you consider me for this position.

PDF of James's Platform

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Hello, y'all! My name is Iz Lucero, and I use they/them pronouns. I am originally from Rockland County, NY, and my family is from the Philippines. I am a new transfer student this Spring 2024 semester majoring in Global Studies with Junior standing. I was on the student senate at my previous school (Lehigh University), serving on the Club Affairs committee. I am particularly passionate about the environment and sustainability, LGBTQIA+ issues, supporting and representing students of color and other minorities, and advocating for holistic care for all students. Why these topics? Environment and Sustainability: At Lehigh, I was a head eco-rep, leading a team to plan multiple events to educate and encourage students to move towards more sustainable practices to better our planet. I also worked as a youth representative for an NGO at the United Nations, whose mission centered on education regarding ecological issues. Some of my duties in this role included articulating the goals of the NGO at the United Nations in New York City and improving the programs presented by the NGO. LGBTQIA+: I identify as queer and non-binary. I understand from first-hand experience what it's like growing up queer, especially in a not so accepting environment, and I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. I transferred from my previous school due to a lack of acceptance of my identity. I want to be a support and advocate for LGBTIA+ students, and I want them to feel truly represented. Being a Student of Color and Lifting up Other Minorities: I am proudly the child of two immigrants. I love this identity and the culture that comes with it. UVM, being a PWI, can be difficult for students of color and other minorities to navigate. I am also a global studies major and understand the importance of elevating the voices of those often not heard, not necessarily speaking for them. As a member of the SGA, I promise to always use a culturally sensitive approach to best serve the student body. Holistic Approach for Students: I have personally struggled with my mental and physical health. I know what it's like, and being a college student adds much stress to simply existing in the world. As a member of SGA I am not just serving you as a student, I am serving you as a whole person. I think a holistic approach is necessary because there are so many facets to each person and I want to do my best to accurately represent and help YOU! I know I've only been at UVM for a short amount of time, but I already love it here, and I want to make it a place everyone can also love. I also recognize that the university could do with some improvements. I want to make those possible by listening to you and elevating your voice to enhance your college experience.

PDF of Iz's Platform

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I’m a lifelong Vermonter and avid Skier. during my high school career I was an active member of my school newspaper, becoming editor-in-Chief my junior and senior year. I also contributed to the institution of the equity policy at my high school. I believe this shows that I have the experience to make lasting change. I believe regardless of what your situation is; you should be supported, succeed and thrive at UVM. Promoting student safety is a big priority to me. Over the course of the next few years, UVM is going to remove the blue light system. I stand in opposition to this decision. I believe students deserve to feel safe on their campus. Every student deserves to have their health and wellbeing supported both mentally and physically. Advocating for better mental health resources will be a priority of my time in the SGA senate.

PDF of Cameron's Platform

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1) I want to be an example to students to show the importance of teamwork, communication, and what they can achieve when they believe they can do something. 2.) I am excellent at taking to people. Ask any freshman on campus and they probably know me. 3.) I have been on student council every year since 5th grade. And I was apart of my high school’s ecological social justice leadership and we were rated the most sustainable high school in the west due to our efforts to make school carbon neutral (brophy college prep) 4.) I want to deal with club funding

Hello! My name is Rubi Espejo and I am a first-year political science major here at UVM. My main purpose for running for SGA Senate is to help better the student environment at UVM through improving diversity efforts, as well as improving connections in our community of Burlington. As our institution is dedicated to improving connections with Burlington, the state of Vermont, as well as across the country, UVM can play a huge role as a state institution and that starts with the students. As I am in a new place, one of my goals has been to make connections with individuals to better my experience, as well as to learn and improve as an individual. I have always been a leader not just with school organizations but even in my own community. I am a very personable person as well, and I feel that this trait makes it easy to connect to people, especially in a professional setting. In the past, I have been involved with organizations such as the Cultural Competence Committee, Leadership Congress, a coach for Unified Sports, as well as a Student Representative for my district's Board of Education. With all of those experiences, it has helped me gain a better perspective of a wide range of issues and experiences that contributes to how I move forward as an individual today. As I have previously mentioned, diversity is a very important topic to me. My father is Cuban and Mexican, and my mother is Irish and French-Canadian, but they raised both me and my brother bilingual. Our culture is extremely important to my family, and as I discover myself in this new home, I want to make sure other people feel as comfortable here with their culture as they would at home. To touch more on connecting with the community, I think that having community outreach is very important to the students here at UVM. To make it more accessible or easier for students to be involved would be great, and even to connect with Vermont legislators. By serving on SGA, I will take in any and every prospective student perspective to improve the way SGA can help the University. Thank you so much and feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns!

PDF of Rubi's Platform

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