Name: Khadijah Templier
Hometown: Coral Springs, FL
Year: Senior
Age: 21
Major: English
Minor: Education
Relationship Status: Taken by Jonathan Marcelo
Her Campus (HC): Why did you decide to attend FSU?
Khadijah Templier (KT): I ultimately decided because of financial reasons. I am a first generation student so I was looking for the university that provided me with the largest financial aid package of course.
HC: What clubs or organizations are you a part of?
KT: I’m a part of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., Women Student Union and Peace Jam.
HC: Do you hold any executive positions?
KT: I do. I am the director of Women Student Union and then I am also the financial secretary for Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.
HC: What does the Women Student Union do?
KT: Women Student Union serves as one of the six agencies on campus. We represent the 55 percent of women here. Our efforts mainly surround encouraging, engaging, empowering and really getting to know the women on campus. I feel that one of the main things that we’re supposed to do is provide a sort of camaraderie around each other. Basically we host programs, seminars and lectures about what it means to be a woman and not only using that information to build our character as women, but our professional image as women, our personal image and our political image as a woman as well. Tackling those three pillars is really what we focus on in all of our programs. In addition to that, we have a lot of committees.
HC: What was your first executive board position with the Women Student Union?
KT: I was actually Women’s History Month coordinator, which was like a super big task for a sophomore. But with the help of Amber (director of WSU at the time) in addition to Danielle Acosta (Women Student Union Advisor), I really got the hang of it and got a great sense of leadership. I’m really appreciative of what they did for me my sophomore year. I was the assistant director last year.
HC: Why did you decide to become the Women Student Union director?
KT: I’ll take it back to high school. I took a class on women in history and I was kind of like, ok this is weird. It’s feminism and I’m learning about women – this is weird. I didn’t know we had so much to say, which is funny that I thought that way. So, in learning so much about where we’ve come and how we’re represented in literature and just through time, I really developed a passion for feminism and for women’s rights in general. So following that passion I came to Florida State looking for a home similar to my classroom setting, where I would be able to learn and connect with other women. So then I started going to the GBMs (general body meetings) for the Women Student Union. My first year as an executive board member, I really earned a lot from the director, Amber Washington. She was a really pivotal person in my life because she taught me that you should stick to your goals and to what you say you are going to do and also use your resources.
HC: What do you plan to do during your time as director?
KT: During my time as director, I plan on one, establishing a sense of community amongst women on our campus. And the way we do this is just by reaching out to women and really hearing their voice for what they want to see the Women Student Union do for them and advocate for them. In addition to that, I want to better improve the kNOw MORE campaign, and in addition, contribute to the health promotions’ efforts with the Green Dot campaign, as well. I feel that sexual violence on our campus did become, in a sense, a larger issue last year with what happened in the media with our football players, and it continues to be an issue around campus daily. Just making sure that we’re not only educating, but also giving everyone the ability to contact the resources that we have on campus is one of the things that I am hoping to do as a director of the Women Student Union. In addition to that, I am working with the Title IX coordinator in creating a kNOw MORE app so we can make sure that those resources are in everyone’s hands 24/7.
HC: Can you explain the kNOw MORE and Green Dot campaigns?
KT: kNOw MORE is essentially no (know) more. We want the student body to know more about our resources, what consent looks like, what we can do as students, what it looks like when there is a dangerous situation, what we should do and what it means in general to have a healthy relationship. The Green Dot campaign stems from the thought that our campus is a map, and we are all red dots until we are better educated on what bystander intervention looks like. So when we do get those resources and have a better understanding about that, we become green dots. We are green blinking dots, and the more we spread that green blinking dot movement, the more people on campus will be educated and really well versed on what to do and what to say.
HC: What is your favorite part of being the director and a part of the Women Student Union?
KT: My favorite part of being a director definitely would be that I get to meet so many people who are equally as fired up as I am about women’s rights and just making sure that we’re not only recognizing that we are in a Seminole women community, but also that we’re here to build each other up and not tear each other down. Recognizing some of the struggles we face on a daily basis, having conversations about them, being more educated about it and working on fixing them within our community is something that I love and do here within WSU. One of the main reasons I did join my freshman year and why I’m still here is the fact that when you’re surrounded by women who are as aspiring as you are and really motivated to get to where they want to be, it’s a wonderful feeling. You feed off of that energy and you just keep going.
HC: What’s one of your biggest ambitions in life? How do you want to make your mark?
KT: I want to leave a tradition of warmness and being personable with other people. So really making sure that we are being open, accepting and really positive is something everyone should aim towards being and is something I really pride myself in. I want to make sure I’m leaving a tradition of not losing yourself within all the politics, the classes and hustle and bustle of being a leader on campus.
HC: What are you most passionate about in life?
KT: I am most passionate about caring for others. I tend to lose myself in making sure I go above and beyond in caring for another person, whether it’s my significant other, friends or family. So being that helping hand and pulling someone out of the depths of that darkness is something I’m really passionate about.
HC: Do you have a favorite quote you live by?
KT: Ahh yes! I have become such a planner now that I have been attending Florida State University and have been so involved. So one of my favorite quotes is “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” I feel like it’s a good quote to live by.