Saad Jamil is a senior majoring in Biological Science and after graduating, he plans to attend medical school. After medical school, he hopes to join Doctors without Borders because he thinks it would be a great opportunity to help out the less fortunate with medical aid.
Saad is also the president of student government. He says, “ I joined because I felt like it was the best way for me to give back to a University that has given me so much.” He is responsible for the meetings where decisions are made that will effect the student body. “The position necessitates making decisions that keep students in mind.”
The meetings are comprised of veteran administrators who have years of experience. In the meetings what is said is taken to be representative of the entire undergraduate student body. He works hard for student government work that can be received when it is due.
For this year he hopes to get students more involved on campus. He says, “I want to help student leaders achieve their potential by increasing their communication with each other.” He puts importance of a good student government should be resourceful to students on campus. “We have been using a two pronged approach, of larger scale projects for visibility coupled with several smaller scale ones to directly improve daily life.”
“It’s incredible how quickly you have to mature when you are responsible for ensuring the opinion of 16,000 of your fellow students is heard.” Even though he is only 21 years old, he feels older due to needing to make fully informed decisions. He says he has learned the importance of effective and clear communication, and the ability to see an obstacle or problem and immediately be thinking of solutions and compromises.
“I think one of the greatest benefits has been learning how to work with a diverse group of people.” He explains how it is completely different when the brightest student leaders are looking to him for guidance. He makes his schedule flexible to have time for meetings. Meetings are a big part of his life as well as emails. He spends an hour to an hour and half just on emails.
He says, “On a weekly basis I spend late nights on campus or in my office to make sure things are getting done.” He doesn’t have enough free time to do things he enjoys such as hobbies, reading, or hanging out with friends.
He tries his best to get involved with activities in the city. “I absolutely love riding my bike all over the city.” Due to being president of student government there are rules that limits from being on executive board of other organizations. He is also a student senator in the faculty senate and on two committees.
“I frequently attend events held by the Pakistani and the Muslim Student Associations, I have also served on the chancellors committee for the status of disabled people.” There are many things happening on campus and in the city and he tries capturing every moment of everything.