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College-Specific Senate
*Candidates are in no particular order*
Joseph Sturm
College of Education
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Hey Wildcats!
My name is Joseph Sturm and I am currently a Junior double-majoring in Literacy, Learning, and Leadership and Creative Writing. In hope of creating a more cohesive environment in the COE, I am running for ASUA Senate under the College of Education. My platform focuses on highlighting and improving student engagement within the COE, while increasing the connection students feel to the college as a whole. With that, I have six main goals I hope to accomplish during my time as Senator.
Focusing on improving and highlighting student engagement amongst Education majors, the goals I have are as follows.
• Create communication amongst students that highlights what the different clubs in the College of Education are doing for the college
• Highlight students who are highly engaged in their majors in communication to students to inspire engagement
• Collaborate with COE Social Media and Website builders to create easier ways for students to learn about getting involved in the COE
• Create more networking opportunities for students among staff, faculty, and other community members
• Involve the COE Student Council more in the College with the World of Words Collection and other initiatives
• Increase communication between COE Minors and the College in hopes of making students minoring in education feel more connected to the College of Education
As your Senator I hope to be very accessible and approachable to all students while accomplishing the goals I have set for this next year. Should you have any questions whatsoever, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I am very excited to see our college grow over the course of the next academic year and I hope to garner your support in this upcoming election.
Thank you,
Joseph Sturm
Gage Driscoll
College of Engineering
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My name is Gage Driscoll and I am running for the position of ASUA Senate College of Engineering Representative. I am currently a junior, majoring in Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering and minoring in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical / Computer Engineering, and Spanish.
Ultimately, as your ASUA Senator, I am looking to improve the overall quality of the Engineering experience that the UofA has to offer its students. In addition to inquiring and representing the appeals of my constituents, my efforts to improve the Engineering experience will include many projects advancing interaction between the College of Engineering and with existing University programs. This will include, but not be limited to: promoting increased COE / Honors College networking events and by increasing exposure of Engineering students to seminars, workshops, and job fairs hosted by other colleges or majors.
I very much look forward to realizing these visions, improving existing Engineering practices, and resolving your issues as your 2019-2020 ASUA College of Engineering Senator.
Angel Hernandez
College of Science
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Madison Smith
Eller College of Management
Hi, my name is Madison Smith, and I am running to be your Eller College of Management Senator. Currently, I am a second semester Junior with a marketing major and spanish minor. As an ASUA Intern and Eller Ambassador, I have gained experience and knowledge that has fueled my passion for this college. As a prospective candidate, I am motivated by my love for learning and seek to enrich the Eller experience by advocating for every student.
As a pre-business student, one of the main struggles I had was applying for Eller and the uncertainty of the application process. I want to give pre-business students the opportunity to prepare specifically for the Eller entrance interview and exam. Creating a space that allows students in the application process to talk with Eller students is crucial for student success. I seek to create this space by crafting a workshop where people can ask questions and prepare for interviews with peers while gaining helpful feedback and support. I believe this will ease the stress of professional admissions and better prepare students.
Within Eller, I have become blown away by student involvement. I seek to help each student find their niche in the college to allow them to grow to their fullest potential. Through my own experience, I have observed the lack of awareness students have about clubs and the ability they have to shape their Eller experience. I wish for Eller students to have access to the networking opportunities that they deserve. In order to promote involvement in the Eller community, I would raise awareness for the club fair through promotion in classrooms and on social media. I would also ensure that each student is given a flyer with descriptions of clubs and the contacts of those clubs to ensure everyone has the necessary resources to join desired clubs, even if they cannot attend the club fair. For clubs, I would promote the ability to apply for funding to go on club-related trips to enrich students’ experience. If elected, I, Madison Smith will work to better the Eller experience for everyone.
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Regina DelaCruz
Matt Hernandez
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College of Nursing
My platform aims to foster and strengthen the College of Nursing community through student engagement and community building.
As a second semester nursing student, I recognized quickly how vital building relationships with other students and faculty would be. Establishing that support system as early as a pre-nursing student not only enhances one’s confidence and drive as they enter the major, but also the passion for the career itself and the community it offers.
While earning the grades and performing the skills may feel like an entirely independent effort, it doesn’t take long to recognize that individuals within your cohort and the faculty members are constantly and relentlessly standing beside you to encourage you through it all. It’s an amazing moment when you realize the nursing community that surrounds you shares your same passion and drive, early mornings, sleepless nights, victories, and failures.
In this position, I hope to enhance the opportunities available to students to build relationships within and between cohorts, with faculty, and interdisciplinary relationships with other health sciences students. By providing engagement opportunities and interdisciplinary events, College of Nursing students would have a means to be active participants in all aspects of their academic and professional careers, while also building and fostering relationships with those that share the same passions and drive.
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College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
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The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences is home to an array of untapped potential. With the People’s College being home to nearly 30 majors and over 5,000 undergraduates, it is important that our College continue to raise and set the bar for what it means to have a successful student experience.
As the senator from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, my chief responsibilities would be aimed at increasing student involvement and success. This starts with optimizing student access to undergraduate research opportunities by streamlining the process by which students can find and apply to research studies with university staff. This initiative would all be in effort to increase interdepartmental relationships between students and staff and to allow SBS students a more efficient way to gain hands on research experience, similar to that of our peers studying Science, Engineering, Mathematics, and Engineering (STEM).
Student and club collaboration are key issues I would like to see improve in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. As Senator, I would aim to increase SBS-specific club involvement by building upon the foundations of the SBS club fair. I plan on introducing and hosting monthly SBS club town hall meetings to focus on what our clubs need and how collaboration between these organizations can work to better the SBS experience for our students.
Professional development and soft skill improvement are vital to entering the 21st century workforce. I would aim to implement Eller-like resume workshops and career fair opportunities better suited to the passions and interests of SBS students. Through increased public speaking workshops, practice LSAT opportunities, and other events catered to the interests of our students, I believe we can work to better prepare our students for tomorrow’s careers.
Taylor Mackie
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College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
The College of Social and Behavioral Science is known as the ‘People’s College”, where many careers that follow after the completion of a degree are heavily reliant on what we know as soft skills and networking. Recently it has become exponentially more important to be well versed in these skills, such as public speaking, leadership, problem solving, and the ability to work under pressure. If elected I would implement programs and workshops to help students in SBS improve these skills such as interactive workshops to build interview skills, mock situations that would appear in real life work environments as well as bring in speakers who have knowledge on what employers are looking for from recent graduates. To put these skills to work, I would also like to see the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences put on a college specific career fair, not unlike how Eller College of Management does for their students. This would bring employers to campus that specifically target students with degrees in SBS. Along with the career fair, I would create a SBS specific club fair to help narrow down the massive amount of clubs available here at the University of Arizona for students to get involved with.
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Gomez Ambriz
College of Medicine
If I am elected as Senator for the College of Medicine, I will implement programs that support students toward their post-graduation plans while also fostering their goals to be well-rounded and competitive students. I will establish a stronger connection between the College of Medicine and the Tucson community by providing more opportunities for meaningful and diverse volunteer work. I plan to accomplish this with the creation of a club where Physiology students and College of Medicine staff can come together to discuss important issues that affect our community. Promotion for this club will include planning and executing a community project.
Furthermore, as a first-generation college student, I sympathize with how intimidating it can be to attend a huge university in such a competitive major. To ensure that every Physiology student has the necessary support to reach their highest potential I plan to work with departments around campus that are aimed at providing sufficient resources for minority students to thrive during their time at the UofA, especially during their first year. These departments include but are not limited to Housing and Residence Life, First Cats, Arizona Assurance, and New Start. Issues that first-year students face include how to get into a lab, where to get help for general chemistry and physiology courses, and how to prepare for advanced physiology courses in the future.
Lastly, in my time as a preceptor for Physiology 202 and as a Resident Assistant, I have experienced the benefit of creating strong friendships with your peers for forming study groups and for emotional support during those more challenging courses. I plan to work with the College of Medicine to use the Gittings Study Center for more social events where Physiology students can meet one another and form those meaningful connections.
Adora Harvey
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College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences
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As a first generation and low-income student, I recognize the barriers of achieving higher education for diverse students. I hope to break down some of these barriers by reinforcing a welcoming and supportive community in my college and expanding university resources for disadvantaged students.
One challenge for many wildcats is economic insecurity. While our school is exemplary in terms of scholarship distribution, students face more costs than just tuition. Low-income students struggle to meet basic needs and, as a result ,these students spend more time working rather than studying or taking part in extra curricular activities which build professional skills. For these students, the university experience often ends up being a fight to float rather than a tool to prosper. All students should have access to resources which help them fulfill their potential. I hope to build up these ideas by helping Campus Pantry extend their hours and reach more students while also expanding the non-profit to meet more student needs like learning materials and hygiene products. Providing more university programs and services for disadvantaged students will make higher education a more tangible goal for our community while also making the U of A a pillar of diverse success.
I will serve my college by working with faculty to build a stronger community and identity while also asserting our belonging in the university. Some ways that I can accomplish this is by encouraging administration to appoint a dean and working with the advising center to more effectively advertise student resources such as our paraprofessional student team. I also hope to work with the advising center to lessen negative stigmas surrounding the General Studies and Exploratory Studies majors. I hope that I can help my college develop a positive and unique voice in the university setting. By establishing voice and identity in my college and expanding campus resources to meet more student needs, we can make higher education a more tangible goal and welcoming experience.
Paige Hargis
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College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
My name is Paige Hargis, and I am a first-year Sophomore and Veterinary Sciences Major. I am seeking the opportunity to represent the vast variety of students and studies of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as an ASUA Senator.
In the few months that I have been a Wildcat, I have grown into a far better student than I ever had been before. I want to help ensure that the resources that helped me improve so much are available and accessible to everyone. This goes beyond programs such as THINK Tank and tutoring, while the importance of those cannot be understated, but another important aspect of student success is their health. Campus Pantry is another tool, by students, for students, that provides assistance to those who need it in a safe and private way.
The College of Agriculture and Life Science hosts 17 majors, ranging from majors such as Retail and Consumer Sciences to Natural Resources. These incredible students work hard to ensure that so many fields that are vital to modern quality of life stays as high as possible. I want to work alongside administration to ensure that the needs of every major is met, that there are opportunities to connect with other students within the College, and the University as a whole.
Grace Sluga
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College of Humanities
Hello! My name is Grace Sluga and I am a sophomore at the University of Arizona studying Spanish Linguistics and Psychology. I am running to become the next representative for the College of Humanities within the ASUA Senate.
My platform includes increasing awareness of existing College of Humanities initiatives, such as College of Humanities Student Ambassadors, among existing and prospective students. I will collaborate with faculty and students to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs and to update them or create new ones if needed. I will also seek to promote communication between the College of Humanities and the rest of the University of Arizona in order to showcase the importance of the necessary skills taught by the college. These skills include work ethics, professionalism, and communication.
I am incredibly excited for this opportunity and am looking forward to working with you all to better the College of Humanities and the University of Arizona as a whole.
Julie Vivaldo
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College of Fine Arts
Hello! My name is Julie Vivaldo and I am a Junior at the University of Arizona studying Clarinet Performance with a minor in Special Education and Rehabilitation. My platform for the College of Fine Arts focuses on developing events to raise advocacy for self-care, and to encourage unity between all four schools within the CFA. My goals include the following:
-Organize self care events for CFA students including coping/ destress methods
-Developing a collaboration system where students in all four CFA schools are able to post a need for positions (such as need for musicians, artists, dancers, producers, etc) to collaborate with various projects/ performances
-Hosting social events where CFA students are able to develop/ strengthen friendships
-Educate students about mental health, healthy relationships, etc.
-Organize events to encourage students to spread positivity and encouragement with others
Within the School of Dance, School of Art, Fred Fox School of Music, and the School of Theatre Film and Television, we all have different talents and strengths- but we all share the same love for the Fine Arts! I hope to see all of the CFA schools unite as we come together to support and encourage one another.
I hope that am able to earn your support as I work my hardest as Senator for the College of Fine Arts! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns!
Thank you,
Julie Vivaldo
Allie Schoenike
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College of Public Health
Hello my name is Allie Schoenike and I am running to be the next Public Health Senator. I value the public health core beliefs and believe that I am very qualified for this position. I have previous experience in ASUA as a Volunteer UA director of the Cheer and Basketball league, a league benefiting the children of Tucson.
My main platform is water stability in Tucson, Arizona, and especially here on campus. I want to work with the Watershed Management Group and Facility Management to continue to help advance water stability for the students here in Tucson. At our current rate of growth, Tucson will be unable to sustain the water demand for future wildcats. It is my hope that we can create a better environment for students and locals alike.