I am delighted to be serving as your 89th Student Body President alongside Amit Khanduri as your Executive Vice President. There is such high potential for impact, and we could not be more ready to take it on.
To our contenders, Hunter Hammond and Kia Andrews (and all of their team and support), we appreciate you committing to your campaign, energizing campus spirit and encouraging students to participate in some of the most significant conversations for the betterment of our Institute. We know that you will continue to serve the White and Gold, and we look forward to working with you.
I have always believed that Tech’s diversity is its unrivaled strength. I have met people here I never dreamed existed. They applied from all over the world. I’ve studied math with friends from Venezuela and remember more Venezuelan slang than equations from that day. I’ve travelled to France with Tech and learned as much French as I did Hindi.
We all share those experiences. We have all matured and grown as a result of those experiences. And we have all become more prepared to take the next step after college. On what other campus would I find a senior design team of seven people that have lived or worked in 10 countries? How can you put a value on such perspectives working together? Above all, that is what’s so special about this place.
We ran our whole campaign with this in mind. We brought together a team that is a snapshot of our student body, ensuring to incorporate engineers vs. non-engineers, international vs. domestic and the whole gamut of our unique experiences. They drive our decision-making, and we are a stronger student body for it.
Moving forward, we would like to continue attracting a diverse pool of applicants that will continue to push Tech forward. For instance, in revamping Course Critique or other fundamental Information Technology developments, we will prospect with students who do not speak English as a first language. To increase attendance and a holistic environment to cheer on the Jackets in Bobby Dodd Stadium, we are organizing an international football clinic. In pushing for the X-Degree, a “create your own major” program, we will allow for flexibility in our engineering and non-engineering courses, even to the extent of distance-learning alternatives. Regarding student health, rethinking campus safety, Stingerette rebranding and all else, our administration will take into account, first and foremost, the students sitting at the table discussing the issue.
Every student can find something here. Personally, I was not born in the U.S. My parents did not attend college in the States. But, without fail, I can call no other place “home.” As it turns out, I am the first Jewish, much less Israeli, Undergraduate Student Body President to serve Tech’s campus. To think that each of us is contributing a small piece into that history is simply baffling, and to think that I can be the advocate for our student body is humbling.
Amit and I will have done well over half our job just by selecting those that we surround ourselves with. That said, we encourage everyone to look into our Executive Branch Application, now available at www.sga.gatech.edu and consider applying for our Cabinet or Committee Chair positions.
Just as we have these past three years at Tech and in these past few weeks during the campaign, we cannot wait to surround ourselves by the most capable, talented, and—you guessed it—diverse team.
Thank you for the support and for the opportunity to serve our Institute. Please never hesitate to contact me. This is going to be a defining year, with continued construction across campus, tuition and HOPE discussions at the State-level, and many academic and campus life resource initiatives on our end.
We’re ready to hit the ground running. I’ll see you on Grant Field, in our renovated McCamish Pavilion, and on Tech Green.