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About Me
About Me
I'm from a suburb in San Antonio, Texas where I've hailed from my entire life! On campus, I've been involved in the Institute of Politics' Policy Program as a Health Policy Team Lead and Harvard's American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative (ALCSI). Off-campus and in the Boston area, I help connect local hospitals with Harvard's ALCSI and the National ALCSI organization to better improve lung cancer screening for all populations.
I'm currently enrolled in a graduate-level accounting class at MIT's Sloan School of Management (MIT 15.516) and have held a professional job for these past 2 years at H-E-B, one of the largest private companies in the nation, as a Central Checkout Service Lead where I learned the importance of maintaining proper budgets and interpreting a multi-million dollar store operating statement.
I have one simple promise though: to provide absolute clarity and transparency about the finances of the Harvard Undergraduate Association. I firmly understand the ethics behind proper disclosures of financial statements, especially with a budget that is partly funded by our $200 Student Activities Fee. Given that I have been completely uninvolved in the politics and drama of the previous Undergraduate Council (UC), I firmly believe that I can bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the HUA that’ll ensure we’re not left with the same fractured system that the UC left behind. You can rest assured that when voting for me, I only have one goal in mind: further financial transparency.
My Platform
My Platform
Establishing an integrated budgeting and accounting system. This will ensure that actual spending, expenditures, and costs are tracked against the established budgets of the Harvard Undergraduate Association.
Providing monthly budget and accounting reports for public viewing from all undergraduates at Harvard College. This ensures that there is full transparency within the organization so that you can rest assured that the HUA budget (which is partially funded by the $200 student activities fee) is being properly spent. This includes ensuring that any unclear financial processes and terms are laid out in a digestible and transparent manner.
Advocating for the purchase of efficient and transparent accounting and financial software. I've begun to already look into affordable and scalable software (e.g. Oracle NetSuite for Small Businesses) that includes budgeting, accounting, and financial reporting modules, ensuring that no money is ever lost or unaccounted for again.
Implementing a monthly reconciliation process. As we saw with the Harvard Undergraduate Council, cash receipts and disbursements to clubs were not reconciled to the Harvard University Employees Credit Union (HUECU) bank statement. I will ensure that a monthly reconciliation process reviewed by at least two people is implemented to ensure that no funds are lost.
Establishing an independent review and approval process for debit card transactions. In the previous Undergraduate Council, we saw how budgets were exceeded with debit cards which were not reviewed each month. I'll ensure that at least two people are assigned to review and reconcile debit card transactions each month while limiting the number of debit cards to be limited to one.
Establishing financial contracts with every single third-party vendor that provides services to the Harvard Undergraduate Association.
Establishing a fair and equitable Grant Evaluation program. This includes creating a provision to ensure that those on the Finance Committee under the new Harvard Undergraduate Association are able to recuse themselves from approving grants to student organizations where they are members, removing all conflicts of interest.
Promising a commitment to the Harvard Undergraduate Association. You can rest assured that I won't overcommit myself to various clubs within Harvard College and that my position in the HUA will remain my #1 priority on-campus.
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