USUSA student body president Sami Ahmed is running for his second term

At the end of his first term as Utah State University Student Association president, Sami Ahmed turned down a job offer to take another shot at student body president. 

Ahmed, a senior majoring in finance, said he believes the projects he is working on are important. By running for re-election, he can ensure those projects are not forgotten and they benefit students in the long run.

“A lot of officers make significant progress throughout the year towards their goal, but then they leave,” he said.

But Ahmed didn’t want his legacy to end like that.

“The first six months of being student body president you are just meeting people and learning what committees you are on,” Ahmed said. “After about six months you know exactly what you are doing, but then it’s time to go. That’s why I want to run again.”

Now, Ahmed feels he has the connections in place to continue making changes to help students. He said he is working on the “MyUSU” student portal to make it more user friendly, and he added scholarship deadline notifications to Canvas to help students stay on top of things. 

Junior Nanyal Rout said she appreciates Ahmed’s commitment to helping students get access to scholarships.

“Sami should be re-elected because he wants students to succeed,” Rout said. “During his term he made a push toward more scholarships and better resources for students. This is awesome, especially for someone like me, where scholarships are very important in order to continue my education.”

Additionally, Ahmed was asked by administrators how to utilize the space in the Taggart Student Center and recommended putting a TV, games and booths up for students to access.

“The number of students we have on the third floor of the TSC has tripled,” Ahmed said. “So that’s why I want to carry the third floor example, which has been a tremendous success, and see if we can do it for other places in the TSC.”

Ahmed will continue to focus on these initiatives, as well as “promoting inclusion, not just diversity.”  

“I don’t think forced diversity should be the point,” he said. “It should be, ‘are we as a school going to accept different people coming into our culture and treat them perfectly?’”

Ahmed, who was born in Ethiopia, served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Australia and traveled to Rome, Korea and Singapore. He said his experiences abroad helped him connect with a more diverse student body.

“So, for example, if you have an issue with something and tell me you are from Korea, I can say, ‘Oh, I understand how you would see it that way,’” he said.

Ahmed’s success as USUSA president has been recognized by other students as well.

“After spending the year working on USUSA with Sami, I couldn’t think of anyone else I would like to have as our student body president,” Student Advocate Vice-President Paulina Rivera-Soto said. “What people don’t see are the early mornings and the late evenings Sami spends in the office.”

Rivera-Soto said she hopes that Ahmed can continue to work on his agenda.

“Next year, I know he has plans on what he’d like to build on from this year. I fully know he will make that happen,” Rivera-Soto said.

Several other students recognize how hard Ahmed worked to develop relationships with administration.

“Sami should be re-elected because he’s the best person for the position,” USUSA administrative assistant Anna Kremnev said. “Administration loves him, which goes a long way! He has done a lot this year, but things move slowly at a university. With another year to tie up loose ends, his impact at USU would last for decades.”

Overall, Ahmed says there is a lot to love about being an Aggie.

“The school is truly built for the students,” Ahmed said. “I’ve had the opportunity to go to many schools because of my position this year, and we are by far the best.”

Ahmed also said he has never felt unwanted at USU.

“People will love you and accept you as long as you are a good person and are nice to others,” he said. “I don’t think you can come to USU and say, ‘I never got my goal accomplished because people didn’t want me to succeed.’”

Ahmed said he has been touched by the support he received to run for president again and is endorsed by almost all USUSA officers.

— taylorcripe@gmail.com

@cripe_taylor