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

I've been an SGA Finance Board Representative for most of the past two school years, so I'm very familiar with how the Finance Board operates and makes decisions. I've also served as the president of a club this year so I have some understanding of how clubs and organizations work with SGA and other campus partners. Having that perspective gives me a more wholesome understanding of both sides of the relationship between SGA and student orgs, which puts me in a good position to bridge the gap and better help and represent student orgs.

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

I plan to work closely with the Vice President for Student Organizations on fostering strong relationships and understanding with student organizations so that everyone stays informed about processes, workshops, and upcoming events hosted by both SGA and student orgs. I also want to work with other Finance Board Representatives to reach out to student orgs and provide as consultants or liaisons for figuring out SGA and Campus Life processes.

When it comes to conflict, I avidly seek to hear out both sides of the issue and listen thoughtfully and without judgment. Upon listening to the arguments, I look for similarities and commonalities and I suggest a compromise through mutual understandings between both parties. I also try to focus on the overall goal of both parties to remind them why we're here and what we want to accomplish together at the end of the day.

What is your vision for maintaining good relationships with all the people who have a stake in how SGA spends and allocates the Student Activity Fee?

With more people working closer with students inside and outside of student organizations, I hope to develop a strong network of students, staff, campus administrators, and other SGA members who will collaborate to develop the best methods for using the Student Activity Fee money for all stakeholders involved. To accomplish this, I plan on gathering more involvement and feedback from students about their experiences through Finance Board and working with campus partners like Commonvision, Events & Conference Services, and the Student Affairs and Business Services Center. I want other Finance Board members to be more included in these conversations as well to improve the dynamic between student orgs and the Finance Board.

How do you plan to be a resource to student organizations?

I want to be as accessible as possible to students by providing my contact information to students personally through emails and regular office hours in the SGA office and publicly on the SGA website and myUMBC. I want to make sure that all necessary resources for student orgs are available on the SGA website, the Campus Life website, and other resource sites student orgs use. I’d also like to create a few short videos as little go-to hand guides for students who may have a lot of questions about how to request funds from SGA or what resources are out there or even who SGA is. And I want to make it clear that there are many other students in SGA serving as resources for anyone and everyone, too.