By Q: Why did you first run for an ASI position?
A: I was involved in student organizations my first two years on campus. Then I was a senator my second and third year and I got to really know the organization, the corporation of ASI. I also saw all the paperwork and red tape that was involved in applying through grants, through the ASI budget process and through the board of control.
I really wanted to have a position that would allow me to have some positive change in that aspect and make it easier for students and more understandable for them to apply for these grants. I also liked that the ASI treasurer has a lot of contact with students on a daily basis. I really like that interaction with students and getting it straight from them – what they like, what they don’t like, how they like their funds to be spent, what they prefer to see.
Q: I see you are pursuing a major in political science with minors in English and business. What do you want to do when you graduate?
A: When I graduate, I want to pursue a career in finance. I had an investment banking internship this last summer in New York, and I worked for Bank of America’s security. I was in corporate finance, in the consumer and retail group, so that was really interesting to me. It was a hard internship. I really missed being away from L.A., but I really liked the finance aspect. So, I want to get into something similar like that, but in L.A.
Q: If you could trade places with anyone on campus for a day, who would you choose?
A: It would probably be one of the kids in the Isabel Patterson Child Development Center, because that’s a really, really great facility. I’ve toured it, and, if I was a kid, I would love to be in there and just play all day and take a break from everything.
Q: What do you think about the proposal coming up for a student recreation center?
A: I think that right now, the educational awareness campaign that we’re doing needs to be as open to input and unbiased as possible and I’m focusing on students just getting all the information that they need to make an adequate decision. I’m also pushing for there to be pros and cons equally put on all the material that’s getting sent out in correlation with the educational awareness campaign so that the students can make the decision. I think that, right now, a lot of students don’t have that information they need to make the right decision, but, once they do, I trust that they will make the decision that’s in their best interest. I don’t want to make that decision for them.
Q: And where is the money for this educational campaign coming from?
A: The money is from ASI funds. It’s under the University Student Union budget. What happened is that when the AS Senate approved that a survey be conducted by Brailsford & Dunlavey, the conclusion of the survey was that, basically, students really didn’t know what was or was not a recreation center and all the implications of that. The firm recommended that we do an educational awareness campaign – all the pros and cons of rec centers, what it would entail, what it would not entail. And, when that money was awarded, it wasn’t all spent. We had remaining funds left from that, and that is what’s being used to fund the educational campaign.
Q: As treasurer, one of your duties is to survey students during fall registration and find out how they want their funds spent. What did you find this year that is unique from other years?
A: We haven’t done the survey yet, but I did review several surveys that showed that consistently students wanted a lot of opportunities for career development and exposure to careers, jobs and internships. That was the No. 1 overwhelming service that they would want to see from ASI, but funding student events and student programs was also key.
Q: When will you be doing the next survey?
A: We want to do it this academic year, though right now we’re in the initial stages of preparing the actual survey and setting up the form for distribution. In the past, it had been through mailers, but that’s kind of outdated because surveys are usually done online now.
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: I like to scrapbook. I’m a creative writing minor in English, so I like to write short stories. My preference is to write non-fiction, creative non-fiction, so I write real stories but twisted in creative ways and maybe with a few non-realistic elements added on to them. I like to write and I like to read. My favorite author is F. Scott Fitzgerald, and The Great Gatsby and Pride and Prejudice are two of my favorite books.
Q: Do you have anything that you would like students to know about what you’re doing this year, what your job is like?
A: I guess I would say that if there’s anything that they’re concerned about, feel free to approach me. I like to be very approachable and accessible, and, if they have any concerns, I really take those seriously and try to find ways to help them out as much as I can. Having been involved so much at this campus, I think I have a pretty good perspective and background on where students can go to help on certain issues.
