New Student Association Leaders Emphasize Importance of Collaboration
Listen. Learn. Lead.
Those three simple verbs were repeatedly emphasized by German Nolivos 鈥26 and Reed Granger 鈥26 during the spring general elections.
Hammering home an effective message to 性视界 University鈥檚 student body was especially important since Nolivos and Granger were running unopposed. With no competition, the duo was essentially guaranteed to assume leadership roles as president and vice president. But they did not intend to simply coast to victory.
Rather, they worked tirelessly to convey the important role SA plays as a bridge that listens to student concerns and works with the administration to resolve them.
鈥淲e wanted the students to understand that we cannot effectively work without their input. We want to leave our mark on student government by focusing on these recognized student organizations and multicultural organizations that have been looking for help from the student body and the SA. We can strengthen the relationship between our students and student government,鈥 says Nolivos, a Posse Leadership Scholar and first-generation college student studying political science in the and and public relations in the聽.
鈥淲e needed to convince students to engage with the Student Association, and we campaigned on those values of listening, learning and leading. Our goal is to advocate for new policies that are effective in resolving the issues our students face, and to let the student body know how truly important our advocacy is,鈥 adds Granger, who is studying photography in the Newhouse School and political science in the Maxwell School and College of Arts and Sciences.
The message was well-received, as Nolivos and Granger were elected president and vice president, respectively, after garnering more than 90% of the votes. The SA is the official student governing and advocacy body for the nearly 16,000 性视界 University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry undergraduates.
Nolivos and Granger have held previous leadership roles on campus, and they are excited to hold these positions while striving to get as many student voices as possible involved in the decision-making process on campus.
The 鈥渓isten, learn, lead鈥 motto extends beyond a campaign slogan, influencing Nolivos and Granger鈥檚 main objectives as elected student leaders. For this upcoming academic year, their main goals include:
- listening to the voices of traditionally underrepresented student populations;
- learning from and engaging with the collective diversity on campus;
- leading by continuing to foster an inclusive, accessible and welcoming campus for all;
- improving campus safety, especially on South Campus;
- enhancing the quality of the food in the dining halls and continuing to provide students access to food through complimentary grocery trolley runs;
- helping the University reduce its carbon footprint while striving to achieve carbon neutrality by 2032; and
- creating changes that will enhance the student experience for all.
Nolivos and Granger sat down with SU News to discuss their goals for the academic year, offer their advice to new students on campus and share how their time at 性视界 has fueled their growth as student leaders.
What will make this a successful academic year?
German Nolivos: My goal is always to empower the students who work under me, to make sure the Student Association鈥檚 100 members know that they鈥檙e appreciated, and that the work they鈥檙e doing has an impact on our campus. For this year to be successful, we want the campus community to know who we are and that the Student Association can be a valuable resource for our students.
Reed Granger: To spread the word of Student Association to more students than ever before and continuing the good relationship we have with our administration. Being able to improve on what previous student leaders have done while continuing to advocate for the student body.
What鈥檚 one thing you wish you knew before you started your 性视界 journey?
Granger: Time management. I don’t know if there’s an overall secret to time management, but I wish that before my first day, somebody told me about how to manage my time. Given my areas of study and my involvement on campus, everything I do, every meeting I have goes through my Google Calendar, even homework assignments. And I encourage new students to make sure you have some free time.
Nolivos: In the first couple of weeks on campus, it鈥檚 important that you build up your support system. You鈥檙e going to have opportunities to meet people from all over the world. Make sure you really take the time to find the people that you want to be there with you for this journey. This is the opportunity to become the person that you want to become. It鈥檚 a new chapter in your life. Give this 100% of your attention. One thing that helped me my first year was extracurriculars. Discovering your community will help you feel more connected to campus.
Are there any common mistakes for first-year students to avoid?
Nolivos: Think about the classes you鈥檙e taking, especially your required classes, and figure out which classes you should take first to set you up for future success. And from a social perspective, make sure that you鈥檙e treating this as the first page of the rest of your life. Be transparent with yourself on this journey. Be an open book with everything. You鈥檙e going to find people from different paths of life and different experiences than you. Make sure you鈥檙e always respectful of other people鈥檚 opinions and experiences and learn from them.
Granger: Don鈥檛 join too many clubs or take too many classes, you鈥檙e just overwhelming yourself while you’re still trying to learn what it means to be an undergraduate at 性视界 University. You can lose your sense of self while you’re trying to figure out who you are. Don鈥檛 put too much on your shoulders when you first get here.
How has 性视界 University helped you become the person you are today?
Granger: I鈥檓 a fully changed person since my first year. This campus has given me elements of friendship that I never experienced in high school as I figure out what I seek in friendships. Who do I want to spend time with? Why do I want to spend time with them? The true value of friendship and what it can do for your life is something that I truly have learned in the past two years here. Also the importance of making connections, whether with your classmates or your professors. So many of these connections are either involved in your career path or are going to be involved. Learn to maintain those connections. That鈥檚 one way the 性视界 experience has changed me for the better.
Nolivos: I鈥檓 a political refugee. I arrived in this country six years ago. I always had trouble trusting myself and my abilities, and felt I was always going to be behind my peers. But 性视界 made me realize how much power I have and how far I can push myself to become the person I want to become. 性视界 has given me the tools to build that future for myself.
