Year In School: 4th year
Activities Involved In: SGA, Volunteer at Broadway Youth Lounge
How did you become interested in SGA: I could never get elected to Student Council in high school, but I always had the desire to get involved with serving my peers. I thought it would be a great opportunity to understand the world I live in, and work to enhance stronger communities. I had a million options when I came to DePaul, but running for SGA was so tempting when I learned about all of the opportunities for change it provided.
What made you want to run for SGA: The President of SGA my freshman year was Anthony Alfano. He gave a speech at the Discover week kick off and was really inspiring. He had majors similar to my interests, and he talked about grassroots change through students. Afterward, I immediately ran up to him and asked him how I could get involved.
How has being involved with SGA affected your time at DePaul: A million words couldn’t sum up the ways SGA has changed my life. I’ve learned just as much, or even more, in my work with SGA as I have in classrooms. SGA has been an opportunity for me to find myself and live for my passions. I have always cared about community building, but SGA solidified how I see a community. At DePaul, I live in a community of people from all walks of life, here to change the world for the better. It’s the most inspiring thing you could see. I also came to Chicago completely alone, not knowing anyone else attending DePaul. SGA has enabled me to meet so many individuals and build strong networks. I now know people from Chicago’s political world, corporate world, down to the people running homeless shelters throughout the city. SGA has undoubtedly allowed me to expand beyond my horizons.
Do you have any special talents?: Two things come to mind: Working on no sleep, and running. My life moves at a million miles an hour, so I am constantly moving. Sometimes that means I have to sacrifice some sleep. My friends think I’m crazy, but I’ve been pretty successful at accomplishing my tasks without sleeping. I often find myself running on four hours or less of sleep every night for an entire week. I also love running. I am a long distance runner and can never get enough. I was a varsity runner throughout high school. Now I don’t run to competitively, but I love a half marathon when I can get a chance.
Do you have any advice for anyone looking to get more involved in SGA/ campus?: SGA is always available to students, so the best way to get involved is just coming to our Thursday night meetings, tweeting at us, talking to senators during SGA hours, or sending us an email. If you’re looking to gain a seat at the table, my best advice is to just go for it. I think the same applies for anything on campus. Chase all of your dreams and passions, and find which fits best for you.
What makes you a campus celebrity?: I don’t really think of myself as a campus celebrity, but I do think it is important for me to be constantly in the DePaul public eye, constantly available to students, and constantly attending DePaul events. I try to be everywhere. We are 25,000 students strong, so I can’t be everywhere, but I love everything I can connect with.
Where are you most likely to be spotted on campus?: I’m most often in the SGA office in Lincoln Park or the Loop, and our doors are always open. If I’m not there, I’m running around from one building to another, from one student group to another, talking to as many people as one possibly could. If you think I’m really stressed, I’ll more than likely be found decompressing at St. Vincent’s circle outside of the JTR library.