From Student Blogger, Valeria: SGA: “Be the Change You Want to See” on your College Campus
I remember going to this event called “Pasta with the President” organized by the Student Government Association (SGA). I had seen some flyers around school and thought it would be cool to have Olive Garden pasta while getting to know the President of Truckee Meadows Community College. So I went. The idea of this event was that you had an open space to talk to the president, ask questions regarding what is going on campus, suggest ideas and areas of improvement and simply get involved. I got to ask Dr. Hilgersom some questions regarding our engineering programs at TMCC and she very kindly responded about the future plans the college had to expand their engineering and coding programs. Then I got to meet the SGA President and her team and they all encouraged me to run for a position for next year.
Pasta with the President event
Fast-forward to elections, I decided to run for Vice President. The SGA body at TMCC includes the president, vice president and 7 senators. The SGA’s main goal is to enhance student life in many ways, such as their academic endeavors, social life, sustainability efforts and more. The Vice President’s job is to chair the Finance Committee, attend the TMCC’s President Planning Council and act as the direct head of the General Assembly when the SGA President is unable to do so.
Being the Vice President of the SGA has opened my eyes to a whole new perspective on how my school works internally and externally. I really admire the way our College President leads our school with such enthusiasm and passion. She really engages with students on a daily basis and is open to hearing students at all times.
Having this job is very challenging but rewarding. I have learned so much about being professional, working as a team, developing strategies for complex situations and optimizing the resources that we have at our college. It makes us so happy to see our students accomplish their goals and to know that we were able to contribute to their success.
One of my favorite aspects about working for the SGA is my team! Alexandra Patri, the President, has become one of my dearest friends and I look up to her so much. From day one we clicked and knew we would bring a lot of joy and leadership to the team. All of the senators that I work with are so committed and dedicated to their projects. Two of them are high school students taking college credits and they always give their 100% effort in the office! Like I said, I love my team.
Our SGA Team
President Alexandra Patri and myself
You might not know this but almost every college and university in the United States has a Student Government Association. We are the face of the students. We represent each and every one of you and we want to do the best job we can to make sure that your needs and expectations are fulfilled. If you would like to be part of an SGA someday, I would tell you it’s one of the most rewarding experiences you will have. You will learn to adapt to different groups of people, to serve others and to help as much as you can and to give your best in all you do. Go for it!
Valeria Saborio is from Costa Rica and is pursuing her Industrial and Systems Engineering degree at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada.