Candidates

Candidates

Student Council President Candidates:


Valentina Mendoza Gonzalez: 3rd Year Student in the School of Leadership and Public Policy

What makes you qualified for this office?
In my time at UVA, I have dedicated myself to leadership, entering spaces with brave student leaders demanding action. As the Director of Coalition Engagement for the Student Council, I've honed my ability to connect student leaders and collaborate on issues important to our student body. My creation of advisory boards, such as the FGLI and Green Leaders Board, demonstrates my commitment to amplifying diverse voices. Serving as PLUMAS' Fundraising Coordinator has equipped me with the skills to mobilize communities and drive tangible change- like leading "Radical Kitchens" fundraisers, raising $500+ for underserved communities, while providing a platform for cultural expression. As the potential first Latina president of Student Council, I aspire to empower future Latinx leaders, breaking barriers to education through my work in programs like Si Se Puede-a non-profit that supports Latinx highschoolers on their path to higher education. My unique qualifications blend coalition-building, community activism, and inclusivity.

If elected, what do you hope to accomplish?
Every student deserves a voice. I envision a university where every student's voice is not just heard, but celebrated. If elected, I'll establish a visitation program showcasing UVA to Black and Latinx high school seniors. This firsthand experience includes Grounds, multicultural organizations/Greek life, and career opportunities, demonstrating UVA's diversity beyond paper. For current students, I will bolster essential resources for student success, with a focus on first-generation and underrepresented individuals, through accessible orientation programs, peer mentorship opportunities, and essential guide books. Strengthening ties with the Charlottesville community is long overdue. By fostering a stronger connection between UVA students and the Charlottesville community, I'll spearhead community engagement initiatives and address real community needs. I'll create a dedicated community outreach team within Student Council, seeking input from residents to address real needs. Together, we can build a university experience where every voice resonates. For more details, visit our Instagram @voicemovement24.

What does student self-governance mean to you?
Student self-governance is a powerful call to action. It's more than policies; it's a commitment to shaping a university experience that echoes the voice of every student. Student self governance is fueled by the belief that our unique perspectives drive meaningful change. Yet, student self governance is far from perfect and demands transparency, compensation, and inclusion. Student leaders must leverage our influence to advocate for student success, ensuring accountability and fostering a university that serves everyone. True government involves more than a surface-level commitment. It necessitates a deeper understanding of the systemic issues that may discourage students from participating in shaping their educational experience. Addressing these problems empowers self-governing student bodies to create a culture where students are not only heard, but also supported in steering their UVA journey. Student self-governance is our shared journey, and I stand committed to empowering student leaders to shape the future landscape of UVA.

 

Tyler Jones: 3rd Year Student in the School of Engineering

What makes you qualified for this office?
What makes me qualified for student body president? I have an incredible Curious George impression and I get into similar crazy situations as the silly ape. I can eat 4 cookies in under a minute. And finally, I have never slipped on a banana peel.

If elected, what do you hope to accomplish?
What do I hope to accomplish? Picture this a UVA in which you can float towards a pie cooling on a windowsill due to the smell alone. A UVA where gravity has no effect until you look down and hold up a sign that says help. A UVA where you can paint a tunnel on a wall and run right through it. If elected I will try to implement these changes to make UVA a sillier place for all.

What does student self-governance mean to you?
What does student self-governance mean to me? Great question thanks for asking! Student self-governance is important because it creates an environment where student's voices are heard, and you bet I'm listening.

 

Student Council Vice President of Administration

 

Brookelyn Mitchell: 3rd Year Student in the College of Arts & Sciences

What makes you qualified for this office?
Growing up in a rural, limited-resource community, I was, more often than not, in close proximity to issues like food insecurity and affordable housing which forced me to analyze the systemic roots of injustice and accessibility. When I arrived to Grounds, I immediately put my passion into roles dedicated to expanding resources for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, starting with Student Council.

Since joining Student Council (Fall 2021), I have gained invaluable experience with the organization and tracking of our budgets, lobbying for pilot programs and policy changes with administrators and faculty, and community building between students, CIOs, and greater Charlottesville. As previous Director of Sustainability and current Chief of Cabinet, I’ve had the privilege of leading projects that closed access gaps within the community such as subsidizing off-grounds student composting, organizing free STI testing in collaboration with Student Health, and packaging meal kits for on grounds students over long breaks.

If elected, what do you hope to accomplish?
The core value amidst my policy goals is equity. As an FGLI student, I understand how disheartening inequitable policies are, so as VPA, I will be dedicated to making this community feel more accessible and welcoming for every student, no matter their background.

I will utilize my relationship with Student Financial Services and Parking and Transportation to explore issues that disproportionately burden the FGLI community such as parking costs for student workers, access to transportation from limited income areas, and disparities in on and off grounds housing. I also intend to investigate UVA’s commitment to meeting 100% need-based financial aid packages to locate any funding gaps needing to be addressed.

Second, I will codify bylaws for the President’s Endowment that aim to accomplish two goals: increasing the impact and reach of Support and Access Services while also increasing available funding for CIOs to request.

What does student self-governance mean to you?
Self governance is a moral choice and commitment to show up, be present, keep the interests and perspectives of others close to your heart, and act in a way that helps the invisible become visible and the silenced become heard. My decision to run for this office is not out of self interest or because I want to advance my personal policy goals, but because I want to raise up the voices of students and organizations within our community by offering Student Council’s resources, relationships, and knowledge to others who don’t have the necessary outlets to do so.

 

Student Council Vice President for Organizations

 

Ryan Bowers: 3rd Year Student in the School of Commerce

What makes you qualified for this office?
For the past three years, I have been a member of the Student Council Appropriations Committee, working my way up from member to co-chair. I have also served as treasurer for clubs I'm involved in, so I understand both the internal and external point of view on SAF Funding. I've worked alongside the VPO for the past semester to help introduce new SAF Guideline legislation, increase funding accessibility, and increase our allocation rates. Serving within Org Branch for the past three years has given me the base of knowledge and ability to connect with CIO leaders to enact meaningful change.

If elected, what do you hope to accomplish?
My priorities as VPO will revolve around justice, community, and transparency. For justice, I want to continue improving funding equitability and accessibility. Working with CIO leaders and the BOV to improve Guidelines and redefining the CIO Consultants Committee to be outward facing, holding town halls and office hours to communicate one-on-one with CIOs and educate them on the funding will help with accessibility to funds.

For communication, continuing to be open with CIOs about funding, storage, the activities fair, etc will be crucial to a successful year. This past year, we have held two town halls regarding SAF funding and continuing to make myself and my branch available to meet with the students we are elected to serve will be at the core of my role.

Lastly, being transparent with an annual CIO Report detailing funding and updates on CIO storage progress will help increase transparency within the student body.

What does student self-governance mean to you?
Student self-governance is about empowering the student voice and creating tangible change. Student self-governance allows students to enact the changes they want to see and better shape their university experience, and as VPO, I will work with and for students to help create this positive and meaningful change at the university.

 

 

Candidate Information

 

The 2022 Spring University-wide Elections will consist of elections for Student Council, Class Councils, School Councils, the Honor Committee, and the University Judiciary Committee (UJC).

Please note: Student Council, UJC, and Honor representatives for Darden are elected through a separate process by its respective school councils. Please contact the Darden school council ([email protected]) to learn more about its election process. Darden students interested in running for university-wide positions (e.g. Student Council President) should follow the UBE timeline outlined in the materials below.

IMPORTANT RESOURCES

If you are running for an office in the 2022 Spring University-wide Elections, please make sure to:

 

RULE VIOLATIONS

If you believe that a rule violation has occurred and would like to file a complaint, please fill out the following form:

Complaint Form

PETITION SIGNATURES*

Please note that only the following positions require petition signatures:

100 Petition Signatures Required:

  • Student Council President
  • Student Council Vice President for Administration
  • Student Council Vice President for Organizations

 

25 Petition Signatures Required:

  • Fourth Year Trustees President
  • Fourth Year Trustees Vice President
  • Third Year President
  • Third Year Vice President
  • Second Year President
  • Second Year Vice President
  • College Council President
  • Engineering Student Council President

 

10 Petition Signatures Required:

  • Architecture School Council President
  • Commerce Council President
  • Education Council President
  • Batten Graduate Council President
  • Batten Undergraduate Council President
  • Nursing Student Council President

 

Please refer to the UBE Rules and Regulations for further information about the Petition Signature process.

If you have any questions, please email the University Board of Elections at [email protected].