Nick Grempler

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

Since the 2020 Fall Semester, I have been a First Year Ambassador of the SGA, where I have not only learned the intricacies of the SGA, but also have worked on the Free Menstrual Products Initiative, which aims to ensure free menstrual products in all gender-neutral bathrooms on-campus. With the Free Menstrual Products Initiative, I have not only applied for grants in order to help facilitate the organized purchase and distribution of all menstrual products, but also have reached out to the SGAs of other universities who have a similar program in order to hear their insight. Also, in January 2021, I participated in the STRiVE Leadership Conference, which, through its many unique topics and activities, has further molded me into the leader that can make positively unprecedented and sustainable change on-campus; STRiVE is something that I will never forget and that I am eternally grateful for.

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

In order to fulfill my role as an SGA Senator to the best of my ability, I will continually obligate myself to collaborate with and listen to other members of SGA, because, without teamwork and communication present, how can there be progress and success? Furthermore, whenever conflict emerges and is need of resolution between individuals, I always take a diplomatic approach. More specifically, I acknowledge the concerns of each party and then help them reach common ground. Neither side ever wants to feel invalidated or targeted, so I believe such a course of action is the most reliable.

What is your vision for UMBC and the UMBC student body?

As a leader, one must not only be of service to others and one's community, but also be empathetic, compassionate, and full of integrity. Being elected to the SGA Senate would give me the ability to execute initiatives that strive to make an even more equitable, more inclusive, and more unified UMBC community. With that being said, I want to strengthen the UMBC community's relationship with three specific topics that are relevant to a person's life, regardless of their general interests, major, or career path: politics, culture, and language. In order to fulfill that, I first plan to offer and advertise thought-provoking, rich discussions that revolve around those three topics, in partnership with the Center for Democracy & Civic Life, the Resident Student Association, and the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program. When made available virtually and in-person, these discussions will act as a beautiful avenue for collective growth.

How do you plan to facilitate communications with your constituents?

As an SGA Senator, in order to make sure that there is consistent, smooth communication between myself and my constituents, I plan to create weekly office hours, where people can drop into either my WebEx room or my Google Meets room to ask questions or spark a discussion. (I also plan to send out my phone number, where people can text or call me to do just the same.) In addition, I plan to send out a biweekly email (i.e., every other week) to the entire SGA community that details what initiatives and objectives I have addressed, pursued, and fulfilled in that time frame. With these measures, I am personally making sure that every single person knows that their voice matters and that they have an outlet to express it.