Attention Binghamton University: there’s a new sheriff in town. Student Association President-elect Kathryn Howard has big plans to bring change to campus next year as the head of a brand new E-Board. In between running to class and balancing time with her friends and many campus activities, Katie still finds the time to devote herself to making our school and our world a better place any way she can. Her passion for friendship and her fun sense of humor have made her a well-liked friend on campus.
Katie has always been a driven and involved student on campus, juggling a Political Science Major and Chinese minor, along with an impressive collection of extracurricular activities. Prior to her election as the new SA President, Katie split her time between work as a BU Tour Guide, a Legislative Representative for the Mountainview Community, a member of the Presidential Search Committee, and served as Chief of Staff to the current SA president.
“Being a leader and trying to get involved in things has been part of my personality ever since I was little,” said Howard. “If my family was making plans or my friends were trying to make a decision, I’d always get right involved and try to help out.”
Her influence and support on campus is evident by the outpouring of support she received during her election by a wide variety of campus groups. Many of the Residential Communities, cultural groups like the Asian Student Union and publications like the Pipe Dream and the Binghamton Review all threw their support behind Katie for her campaign. Katie’s campaign slogan, “Bridging the Gap” makes evident her desire to really connect the student body with our faculty and administration, and make the school a better and more cohesive environment.
Given her impressive political resume, it is no surprise that Howard has claimed the top spot on campus. Prior to attending BU, Katie was involved in high school government, and began working her way through the SA as a freshman. First observing then diving straight in to SA work, she has made a great impact on campus already through her work as Chief of Staff and Legislative Representative. Howard has advocated for the Mountainview dirt path and instituted a program with the Engineers without Borders program to put more student-created bike racks on campus, among other programs.
As president next year, Katie has several goals to improve the quality of student life on campus. Her immediate goal is to create a smoother transition process for transfer students, who often are not offered the same resources to assimilate into campus as incoming freshman. Also on her list of goals for the year are adding more printing stations in convenient locations like the University Union and Lecture Hall, and getting copies of every textbook on reserve at the Library. She even has plans for fun student activities like a huge dance party on State Street during Halloween, for those who do not patronize the bars, or would prefer to avoid the crowds on Halloween.
Howard’s big plans for the future do not stop after her graduation though. Eventually she hopes to work on a congressional campaign and then move on to working for non-profit children’s organizations or public advocacy programs. However, before she continues her crusade to improve the world, she has some big travel dreams she would like to fulfill.
This ambitious girl keeps a map above her bed marked with colorful pins of all of the places she would like to travel to, and the vibrant dots are scattered across the globe. She says her dream would be to visit India, and maybe even take a cross-country bike trip across America.
“There’s just so much more in the world than New York, and I’ve only been on the East Coast,” said Howard. “Before I figure out exactly what I want to do, I want to explore what is out there and then make a decision.”
Be sure to keep your eye on this girl, she is going places fast!