Mira Patel (pictured right), a sophomore from Naperville, IL, is a future law maker who is all about women empowerment. With Political Science and Economics as her majors, she is passionate about politics. Check out why law/politics is her passion and how you can become involved on-campus.
HC: What made you want to get involved in Senate?
Mira: My best friend, Blake Cortez, was an Academic Senator last year and he was the one that encouraged me to run! It seemed like such a unique and rewarding opportunity to help improve the student body.
HC: Were you involved in student government in high school?
Mira: Yes! My high school participated a program called Youth and Government where we drafted pieces of legislation to present to a mock Congress. I loved it because I got to travel down to Springfield, IL with my best friends and actually sit in the Illinois House and Senate while debating and presenting these bills.
HC: What is your favorite thing about representing part of the student body?
Mira: Having the means to actually fix the issues I see around campus is probably my favorite part about being in Senate. We can reach out to Deans of the different schools to contact them about student academic concerns, or we can draft legislation to fix dining concerns (the possibilities are endless). It’s also encouraging to be surrounded by people who have a vested interest in improving life at Miami.
HC: If you could have any job in the world, what would it be and why?
Mira: I would absolutely love to be a Supreme Court Justice. I’ve always been so fascinated by the law and its interpretation, so to be able to be one of the very few people that gets to set that kind of precedent for the entire country would be an amazing opportunity.
HC: What is a quote you live by?
Mira: “Empowered women empower women”
HC: Who is your favorite politician and why?
Mira: Despite all the negativity surrounding her life, I do look up to Hillary Clinton. She truly paved a path for women in politics, and overcame immense amounts of adversity in the process. I think that she embodies the idea of fighting for what is just and what is right. It shows great character to lose a battle with grace and humility, and that is exactly what she did last year, as well.
HC: How does someone become involved in Senate?
Mira: Elections for the Cabinet, Academic Senators, and Off-Campus Senators are held in the spring, and elections for On-Campus Senators are held at the beginning of the school year. All the information you need is on miamiohasg.com.