As election season lies ahead at Florida State University, it can be hard to navigate and choose who to put your trust in. After all, this is the university you and many others call home. As you’ve walked through Landis Green and the other surrounding areas of campus during this hectic campaign week, you may have wondered to yourself, Just who am I voting for?
I had the pleasure of speaking to three of the university’s most powerful leaders running for positions with ForwardFSU this spring: Student Body Treasurer candidate Maddie King, Senior Class Council President candidate Emily Schwartz, and Senior Class Council Secretary candidate Rain Bellamy. These incredible women shed insight into how they plan to serve our community intentionally, advance our university, and preserve the many traditions that make FSU so special.
Maddie King
The first person I spoke with was Maddie King, a third-year Criminology and Mathematics double major with a minor in Psychology. If you think her academic resume is impressive, you haven’t seen her leadership experience.
King has been a powerhouse since she stepped on campus. She took the time to explain her numerous qualifications, sharing with me, “Through my time at FSU, I have had an extensive amount of experience specifically within the Student Government Association (SGA). My journey originally began when ForwardFSU encouraged me to apply for Class Councils. I was selected to be the Sophomore Class Internal Affairs Chair. Later, I was elected to serve as a Senator in the 75th Senate, where I gained knowledge of FSU statutes, funding boards, and the structure of SGA as a whole.”
When I asked her what her experience had taught her, she shared, “I ultimately decided to run for Student Body Treasurer because of my genuine passion to help and inspire those around me. Being one of the only women to serve in a prominent financial position in the Office of the Treasurer for years, I strive to empower young women to pursue their passions and goals despite social norms.”
King has been inspiring women all over through her other numerous involvements. She is the president of the Student Alumni Association, is deeply involved with the Panhellenic community, and co-founded the 1910 Honorary, a women’s honor society, making her a versatile leader with friends on every corner of campus.
If you’re wondering what her candidacy would mean for you, King gave me some insight into her goals for her term, including that she wants to take the “time to mentor and empower future generations.” Approachability and intentionality are her bread and butter. In this position, she hopes to establish “a Financial Literacy Certification Program aimed to equip new leaders with the essential financial knowledge and skills necessary to make decisions and impacts” and give people the space to learn hands-on.
Emily Schwartz
I also had the opportunity to talk with Emily Schwartz. An active member of the Panhellenic community, Relay for Life, Student Foundation, and numerous other honor societies, the third-year Athletic Training major continues to pave the way for FSU. Schwartz uses her platform to involve the entire student body while creating awesome opportunities for the beloved senior class.
If you’re an upperclassman, you may have seen some of the work that Schwartz has already accomplished. When I asked her which project she was most proud of, she enthusiastically told me about the Almost There Fair she put together last year, which celebrated the end of the school year. Along with creating class merch, she explained, “We brought out free food truck vendors and had a banner signing, music, and merchandise for the different graduating classes. Students could come by, hang out, and leave with new clothes and snacks!”
Schwartz is no stranger to class councils. Her previous roles as sophomore and junior class president also allowed her to give back to our students. Some of her responsibilities included creating all Sophomore Class Council (SOCC) events like SOCC Trick-Org-Treat, increasing the SOCC’s board retention by 60 percent in her tenure, and working with other organizations on campus. She told me her time working in class councils has taught her the power of delegating, communication, and resilience, which she hopes to continue fostering in her new position.
Like many of us, Schwartz’s favorite place on campus is the Doak Campbell Stadium. She expressed, “It’s filled with so many memories and history, and I cannot wait to see it with all the beautiful renovations!” Another one of her platform points? Creating priority football game seating for the senior class.
Rain Bellamy
Finally, Rain Bellamy, a Sport Management and Media/Communication Studies double major hailing from Orlando, Florida, shared her thoughts on what the student body is looking for this election cycle.
Bellamy also boasts a wide array of campus involvement and leadership experience. Among her many achievements, she is the president of the HARDWORKING Kappa Epsilon Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., the recipient of the 21 Under 21 Award from the Student Foundation, and a Colloquium Leader for the Honors program, showing her ability to teach, achieve, and inspire.
Like Schwartz, Bellamy has multiple years of experience within class councils, serving as the Sophomore and Junior Class Council Secretary, where she has facilitated connections between the councils, with advisors, and with the students. The Build a Boo-quet event and collaboration with the Women’s Student Union were her ideas that she was seamlessly able to bring to fruition.
I asked her a tough question on most of our minds: “Why should we vote in the first place?” Bellamy answered it gracefully, taking it up and telling me, “Each student should not only vote in student elections but also continue to follow up with those candidates voted in. Having every student invested in the issues facing our campus community is what ensures we elect competent leaders to effect change. It’s your right to vote; don’t take it for granted.”
Bellamy will represent the senior class who walked through their first few years after COVID-19. They went through activities, jobs, and classes largely online, and now, Bellamy says, “it’s time to give back. A good candidate is one who listens.”
I posed the question, “What do you think the student body wants most right now?” To which she responded, “The student body most wants an opportunity to reinvest. Post-COVID, campus life was greatly impacted, and I think many students are looking for a chance to engage and find their niche. The more students feel as though they belong, the better our campus culture becomes.”
To her, “The FSU community means working alongside one another to foster our storied traditions and pushing through adversity to improve our campus.” FSU is one of the fastest-growing institutions and needs candidates committed to growing with it.
These three women are models to all the students at FSU of what can happen if you put your mind to something. They lead by example and teach us there is always time to learn, grow, make mistakes, and consider others.
The Spring 2024 Florida State University election will occur on March 6.
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