Kyram Pou

How did you get involved in campus life? What advice would you give to students who haven’t yet found their place on campus?
When I transferred to Worcester State as a sophomore, I immediately knew what I wanted to be a part of. I always seek to be a change in my community, so I immediately joined the Intercultural Student Alliance (formerly known as Third World Alliance) to bring a sense of community and belonging to underrepresented students who don’t have much of a voice for themselves in their community. A piece of advice I would give to students who haven’t yet found their “people/place” on campus is: make your own place if you don’t see it. Don’t be afraid to mark your territory on what you are standing on. If you do not feel comfortable, make yourself comfortable. Make connections with current student leaders to see how you can help bring the change you want to see within your community.

How do you think you’ve changed as a leader throughout your time at WSU, and what aspects of your experience most influenced this change?
I began looking at Worcester State as a whole and realized I would like to help be the voice for all students, so I ended up joining the Student Senate. I immediately became a class of 2025 Senator, and was recommended to obtain the role of Treasurer. Over the course of my sophomore year, I began to make lots of friends which resulted in me wanting to pursue more leadership roles, like being an Orientation Leader. While being an Orientation Leader, I made more friends like myself who are leaders, which opened more doors for student networking opportunities at Worcester State. Making friends definitely plays a role in leadership change because more opportunities open and you begin to have more of a bird’s eye view of life at Worcester State.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned when it comes to leadership?
When it comes to leadership, I have been surrounded by different people. I’ve learned how to blend myself in with people of different backgrounds, cultures, preferences, and so on, and there’s so much more to learn. It’s important to take into consideration that not everyone will be the same as you so it’s important for you to take those first steps and make those connections because no one will do it for you. Each leader has different leadership styles and traits which makes them who they are, which is something I have been able to adapt to.

What would you say has been your best experience here at WSU?
My best experience at Worcester State is definitely being a student leader. There are so many different clubs I have been a part of, and there are more that I would like to be involved in. Each club has a different focus so I am always learning something new from each club, whether that is the Intercultural Student Alliance, Student Government Association, Photography Club, and so on. I have learned how to expand my leadership skills as well as my interpersonal skills beyond my typical lecture-style classroom, and I have been able to exert the skills I have accumulated throughout my time at Worcester State to real-world situations which I am more than appreciative of.

What advice would you give to students who are just beginning to explore the type of leader, or the type of person, they hope to become?
Never be afraid to make your mark. College is about YOU so you need to take those first steps to see the change you want to see in your community!

What are your current plans for the next few years?
For the next few years, I plan to obtain a Master’s Degree in Communication. Currently, there have been lots of schools I have been eyeing and I have faith that I will get into the school I really want to get into!

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Student Trustee Kaitlin Schott

Class of 2024, Business Administration with a concentration in management and a minor in economics
Hometown | Southampton, MA
Campus Involvement | Student Government Association, Asian Cultural “Boba” Club, Academic Judicial Board, Conference and Event Services Office employee

Can you describe the role of the Student Trustee? What do they do for the student body?
The Student Trustee brings a student perspective to the Board of Trustees. This way, the board has an understanding of what Worcester State is like from a student point of view, not an administrative one.

What are some of the goals you hope to accomplish while in this position?
My goal is to attend more major organization and special interest group events and general meetings. I want to be able to interact with more students. I think it’s important to get any type of feedback from my peers that I can, so I can be as informative at board meetings as possible.

What do you foresee as some of the challenges you could face in this position?
Some of the challenges that I foresee in this position is not being able to attend as many events and meetings as I would like. Going into my senior year, I have a lot coming up between classes, homework, work, SGA, and board meetings. However, I am optimistic that between two semesters, I’ll be able to accomplish my goals!

At the end of the year, looking back, what do you hope your fellow students remember about you?
I hope fellow students remember that I did my best to represent the student body. I also hope that students remember that I really cared about this position and helping the Worcester State community.

What advice would you give to students who are just beginning to explore the type of leader or the type of person they hope to become?
Be open to new experiences and don’t shy away from opportunities that are presented to you. This is the time to explore the type of person you want to be and take advantage of it while you can.

What are your current plans for the next few years?
I want to find somewhere to work in the business management field. I’ve been considering hospitality as well as event planning, but nothing is set in stone.

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SGA President Nicholas Holm

Class of 2024, History & Political Science
Hometown | Westford, MA
Campus Involvement | Student Senate, Worcester State Foundation Board, Conference and Event Services Office employee

Can you describe the role of the SGA President? What do they do for the student body?
The SGA President oversees the operations of the Student Senate, and coordinates with administration to advocate for student interests.

What are some of the goals you hope to accomplish while in this position?
Reintroduce reliable funding sources to enable special interest groups; re-establish relationships between the Worcester State SGA and other Worcester area college SGAs; establish more reliable lines of communication between the student body and university administration.

What do you foresee as some of the challenges you could face in this position?
Post-pandemic recruitment has been a challenge for all student organizations. Both recruiting new members for Senate and helping smaller organizations reach new members has been reoccurring challenge.

At the end of the year, looking back, what do you hope your fellow students remember about you?
I hope they remember me as the president who brought normalcy back to the SGA. This year is going to be the first year without any pandemic-related impediments, and I want to make sure that this year makes up for the ones people missed.

What advice would you give to students who are just beginning to explore the type of leader or the type of person they hope to become?
Don’t be afraid to try things. I joined Senate because someone sitting at a table outside of the POD yelled at me to come vote. I wrote myself in, not even knowing what I was voting for. Sometimes not knowing what you’re getting yourself into is the best way to discover new things.

What are your current plans for the next few years?
I would like to live abroad for a bit. Last summer I went to Europe and really liked being there. 

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Class of 2023, Psychology with a concentration in Mental Health Services, minor in Public Health
Hometown | Shrewsbury, MA
Campus Involvement | Student Senate, Women’s Cross Country Team, Women’s Track Team, 2023 Class Committee, Resident Assistant, Circles of Leadership, Orientation Leader

Erica Hanlon, SGA President

Can you describe the role of the SGA President? What do they do for the student body
The SGA President collaborates with the student senate and the rest of the student body to represent our student population and advocate for student needs. The SGA President attends various meetings with administration, alumni, and students to be a voice for the student body.

What are some of the goals you hope to accomplish while in this position?
One of my goals is to add a new aspect to the student senate in which each senator will have a focus group on campus to receive feedback from and offer support to. Another goal I have is to increase community outreach through creating opportunities for students to donate to and support the greater Worcester area. Overall, I aim to be an approachable and helpful person for all WSU students.

What do you foresee as some of the challenges you could face in this position?
A challenge I foresee in this position is not being able to please everyone, as there will be many different opinions among our student body, and I will need to do my best to represent as many students as possible as well as my own beliefs.

At the end of the year, looking back, what do you hope your fellow students remember about you?
At the end of the year, I hope my fellow students will remember me as someone who was genuine, welcoming, helpful, and action-oriented.

What advice would you give to students who are just beginning to explore the type of leader, or the type of person, they hope to become?
My key piece of advice is to push yourself to follow what interests you regardless of anyone else’s opinion. If you are thinking about trying something new or stepping up to be in a leadership position, just try for it! No one is judging you and any endeavor for your own personal growth is well worth any potential nerves.

What are your current plans for the next few years?
After graduation, I hope to work as a Resident Director at a university while taking graduate classes for my Master’s in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. I also hope to adopt a dog and travel

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Club Name: Student Senate
Mission: The Worcester State Senate is a group of elected individuals aimed to be a transparent and representative voice of the student body on campus and be the strong line of communication between students, faculty, staff, and administrators. The Senate works to acknowledge and address student issues and concerns. The Senate works to be an active resource for students on campus and the community at large.
Club Meeting Time:  Thursdays at 4pm via Zoom.
Contact information/Social Media:������ | Twitter | Email sga@worcester.edu |

Why should students get involved with your organization?
It’s a great opportunity to get involved on campus, as a member of the organization you have the opportunity to be involved in conversations all over campus regarding student issues. You become aware of what’s going on on campus. Additionally, you get to work with other student leaders and form relationships with faculty, staff and administrators.

What types of events and/or programs do you do throughout the year?
We have our weekly open meeting that anyone is able to attend and speak at. At these meetings we normally have guest speakers, where we have productive conversations and gain beneficial information. Additionally, in a normal year we would have regular Meet and Greets where students can meet the members of the Student Government and express any concerns or questions they have.

What has been one of the biggest successes of this organization?
One of the biggest successes as an organization we have made is the work we have put into improving our organization and making ourselves a more known and reachable student resource. We provide a platform and facilitate productive conversations where students’ views and opinions are expressed and heard.

What do you think your organization brings to the students at Worcester State?
We provide students with a voice and source of representation, which allows students voices and opinions to be heard and contribute to the decisions that are made that impact students.

How can interested students join Senate and learn about programs and events?
Interested students can contact us through our social media accounts, or they can email sga@worcester.edu. They can also follow any of our social media accounts or attend the weekly open meetings.

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