“Being a business student, I wanted to get some type of job full time to have the security for my family so I could pay them back for everything they’ve done. I came in thinking,‘I want to really make an impact and meet as many people as I need to.’ I knew that I wanted to leave some type of legacy and try to help the people who come after me.”

“I had a lot of mentors and because of that, I was able to get a lot more out of college than most people who might not have as many mentors.”

How do you balance everything?

“When I’m really passionate about different things, I always make it work, always put in the extra time. Whether I’m at the library until four in the morning or if there are two meetings within 30 minute intervals, I’m willing to run across campus because I’m passionate about what I do.”

How do you feel about race, ethnicity and tolerance on campus?

“When we think about what diversity looks like on this campus, we always try to say that we’re where we need to be, and we’re just not. It’s a long process.”

“There’s been some progress but I think there’s so much that needs to be done before we can say we are actually inclusive, we’re actually diverse. As much as everyone wants to say that we are, I think we have a long way to go.”

“I love connecting people and connecting different communities because until you actually have the opportunity to meet with some people that you might not like or you have some specific stigma against, you really won’t be able to understand what it’s like to be in a minority.”

“I want to provide a space where people can talk and engage in dialogue. I want to make sure we’re providing an outlet for students to voice their opinions, even if it’s something that might not be as seen as a main priority.”

What are your main priorities as president?

“I have two main priorities: connecting student senate back to campus and connecting student senate with each other. As student senate, we’re supposed to represent the student body. There’s no way we can do that if we’re only focused on our own initiatives and not on the students.”

“My main focus is on being student body president, being there for students when they’re struggling. It’s more important to be there for the people you represent than doing it for yourself.”

“Once we reconnect the students, I want to start working upward with administration, working with legislators so we can do things as far as pass a budget. We are going through a crisis right now, having no budget. None of my long-term goals for connecting administration will be possible without reconnecting the campus.”

What has been the most rewarding, regarding your time at the University?

“The thing that’s been most rewarding has been training the next people to do more than I could ever imagine. I try to invest a lot in the people under me, like freshmen and sophomores, and make sure they have an opportunity to learn more and learn from my experiences.”

“The most gratifying part has been seeing how people that I’ve been able to invest in since freshman year have become successful.”

How have your mentors impacted you?

“There have been so many people who have helped me to get where I am now. They helped me when I was at my lowest point, and they were there for me when no one cared about who I was or what I was doing. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here.”

Any final thoughts?

“It definitely wasn’t a straight path to getting where I am. It’s very easy to see the end result, but there have been so many struggles, so many low points, and it’s so much more than all the great things that I have been doing. I think that me being able to fail and struggle through student senate, and me not being able to get positions that I wanted, has been beneficial. I think those experiences helped me to be a better leader and a better president moving forward, and trying to help others get to where they want to be.”