fiona tolentino

What relevant experience would you bring to the position you are seeking?

I have significant relevant experience that will allow me to fulfill the roles of a finance board representative. In addition to being an FYA, I'm a member of the school's mock trial team, which thoroughly developed my abilities to apply logic, reason, and purpose when expressing a wide range of ideas.

How do you intend on fulfilling your role while working alongside other members of SGA? What strategies do you use to address conflict?

I have experience deeply rooted in merging the multifaceted ideas of peers from different backgrounds. I recognize the importance that diversity brings to the decision-making process, thus promoting an environment where everyone has the chance to voice their opinion is vital in creating collaborative processes that are effective and healthy. Therefore, devoting time to getting to know other members on a personal basis in ways that acknowledge mental health, differing backgrounds, diverse perspectives, and varying experience levels will curb conflict and foster circumstances where everyone is free to vocalize their respective opinions.

What is your vision for the funds that SGA has available to allocate to student organizations?

If chosen, I would advocate to form groups within the finance board that would handle a specific subset or organizations. To determine if particular allocation requests are a good use of the student dollar, it is important that strong bonds be formed in an intra-organizational manner to make the most informed decision possible. Having these connections to other organizations, where members of the finance board also partake in matters from requesting organizations ensure that the request is wholly understood, and its implementation can be most accurately assessed.

What do you think the Finance Board has done well? What do you think the Finance Board needs to improve?

The way the finance board has allocated office hours every week to meet with organizations and discuss budgets its a great way to ensure that all organizations have a chance at funding and adjusting as needed. If I were to be elected on the finance board, I would like to see the allocation process be more streamlined- with different groups within the finance board responsible for different categories of organizations. In this way, bonds are form in an inter-organizational manner, paving the way for increasing transparency in the greater UMBC community.