Serving as student advocate
Editor’s Note: This column is one of three guest opinions that will appear in The Utah Statesman leading up to the 2025 USUSA elections results. All of the Executive Council was given the opportunity to write a guest column informing students of the work USUSA does in shaping USU’s campus community.
I often joke I was an extremely unlikely candidate for USUSA student advocate vice president. During my final years of high school, a move from Wyoming to Utah left me feeling like a small fish in a massive pond. I wasn’t particularly well connected, didn’t serve in student government and spent most of my lunches alone in the library. When I came to Utah State, I had no plans to get involved. But an accidental sign-up for Aggie Blue Leadership Conference changed everything. Encouraged to step outside my comfort zone, I applied to the USU Government Relations Council, a lesser-known but impactful branch of USUSA focused on meaningful change. I spent three years there before deciding to run for student advocate, the position that chairs the GRC among other responsibilities.
Campaigning pushed me out of my introverted comfort zone, forced me to overcome my fear of public speaking and challenged me in ways I never expected. Months of preparation boiled down to a few key election days in February, days that felt like months. Looking back, they were just the beginning of one of the most fulfilling years of my life.
Student advocate is a unique position. Unlike others in USUSA, it doesn’t come with built-in events or a rigid structure. My predecessor Tyson Packer once wrote, “It doesn’t have the glitz and glam of other positions, but it attracts those who want to make a difference. It attracts those who want to help students and be there for those who don’t have anyone else.” That sentiment has defined my experience.
From Aggies Vote Week to Gripe Night, my goal has always been to help students, whether by guiding them through governmental systems or simply listening and empowering them to create change. I came into this role wanting to give students the knowledge and opportunity to participate in elections, but I also wanted to help them feel less alone. The most rewarding part of my job has been the students who wander into my office looking for advice, support or someone to talk to.
One of the other ways I connect to students is by overseeing the MyVoice program. I love reading MyVoice submissions, and even more, I love it when I can help. If you didn’t know, every complaint submitted through the MyVoice program is read by the student advocate and then assigned to an officer. It’s one of the most direct ways students can influence change on campus.
Winning this position gave me more than just a title. It gave me a community. My adviser Alex Gatherum, Excel guru, has helped bring some of my biggest, seemingly unattainable ideas to life while providing a judgment-free space to analyze failures and grow. Staff members like Linda Zimmerman have changed my life through simple acts of kindness. Every holiday, I found caramel corn on my desk. She was the one who drove me home when I got sick on a student involvement trip. No matter how busy they were, I always knew I was welcome in their office.
When I hear the phrase “Aggie Family,” I don’t think of just a slogan. I think of these people. My advisers and mentors have shaped me, enabling me to grow beyond my shy high school self. I think of the community that has given so much to me and the people I’ve been able to give back to as a result.
Some of the changes I helped make, such as more accessible facilities and better campus voter registration, could seem like a drop in the bucket. However, I hope these small changes will make students’ lives better.
I can’t wait to bring my future family here to show off the bus benches Kai Li Tullis, GRC member, secured through facilities enhancement funds. I know students won’t associate these changes with us, but I feel proud because of our efforts, a student will have a comfortable place to sit and wait for the evening bus.
During elections week, the TSC walkway will be crowded with A-frames and future student leaders handing out business cards. I know it can seem overwhelming or even annoying. Some of their initiatives or ideas might seem to small or too unattainable. Like many of my initiatives, you may be tempted to see their ideas as small drops of water in a big bucket, but these candidates are running for positions with real power — ones that shape everything from parking policies to student fees and campus improvements.
I urge you to vote this year. The students you elect will sit on committees that directly affect your experience at USU. Some of them, like I once was, are absolutely petrified to put themselves out there.
If you have five minutes, talk to the candidates. Learn about their vision for the university we all love. Engage with their hope for the future, a hope many of us desperately need, and maybe, just maybe, consider running for a USUSA position yourself. You might find, like I did, this community changes you in ways you never expected.
— studentadvocatevp.ususa@usu.edu