You have probably seen her walking across the quad on a Tuesday afternoon, dressed in business casual on her way to a Student Senate meeting. Down to earth and calm, Gabby Treiling is the Class of 2017 President and is one of the Founding Fellows for the ACE office’s new initiative, the Community Policy Institute. Read on to find out more about this weeks campus celebrity.
Gabby Treiling
Major: Political Science
Minor: Economics
Hometown: Brewster, NY
Favorite Show: Friends
Favorite Food: Strawberries
HC: Tell us what you do as President of the Class of 2017.
Gabby: So basically my main role is to listen to what the class wants and plan fun events and make sure that the class comes together. I attend Senate meetings so I speak my voice and talk about hot topics. The Senate’s goal is to fix these issues. A lot of what senate does isn’t always recognized, but we’ve done a lot. The sidewalk to Newton Plaza and the new Casey’s space were all Senate initiatives. I always take note of something that someone says to me. I’ll speak about it at a meeting and a lot of times students feel the same way about certain issues.
HC: Do you have any other roles on campus that you are a part of?
Gabby: I recently started an internship on campus through the ACE office called the Community Policy Institute. It’s a new program and I’m one of the founding fellows. I’ve had to do a lot of infrastructure building for that program. It’s a really great program; it’s consulting non profits in a political science capacity. These nonprofits don’t have the resources to research policy and to advocate for certain things and it bridges the gap between nonprofits and the legislative arena. It’s the first semester we are doing this program and it’s still relatively new. I’ve been trying to think of ways we can get more involved here on campus. We are also looking for new community partners to work with so that’s exciting.
HC: What are your main goals for the next two years here?
Gabby: I do plan on re-seeking election and if I was reelected and my priority would be to have a great senior year. Between senior year and 21 club events, that would definitely be a priority for me. The senior class counsel is doing a great job so far and I have been learning from what they are doing. I hope to do as great of a job as they’ve been doing! I’d like to get as many people involved in having a say as possible. We just recently talked about having a town hall meeting and wanted to know how to help and get involved. This isn’t completely set in stone but we have such a great class and everyone at Siena is so involved. I love that everyone wants to be involved and wants to help. I want as many people to have a voice as possible. It’s our class. I’m a public servant.
HC: What are your career aspirations?
Gabby: I hope to go to law school, but I am keeping my options open. I am interested in working before I go to law school. Maybe something in the private sector. I’m giving myself a taste in everything before I decide. Everyone says I should go into PR or be a campaign manager. People say I could be Olivia Pope from Scandal, but I don’t think that’s a real job.
HC: Who is one person that you look up to?
Gabby: I definitely look up to Emma Watson. I love what she’s done with the UN.
HC: What’s one piece of advice for someone who has a lot of ideas and wants to get involved?
Gabby: I would say that it is definitely scary but what’s the worst thing that could happen? If you’re passionate about it, you could make a great change. It’s not worth playing it safe. If you feel a certain way about an issue, someone will support you. Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion, you’re never alone! I would tell them not to be afraid to express themselves. Getting involved on campus is the best way to meet people. Start a club, be a president of a club, there’s so many things to do. There’s something for everyone. Everyone can find where they shine.