Emily Gregory and Catriona Clarke are running as one ticket for Student Government Association (SGA) president and vice president. The Scribe contacted the two candidates via email about their platform and experience.
SGA presidential candidate Emily Gregory
What is your major/year?
I am a sophomore studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Aerospace Engineering.
Have you previously held office in SGA and if so, what was your previous position?
I am currently the Senator of Engineering.
Why are you running for this position?
I am running for Student Body President because I want to help foster campus community to promote trust, connectedness, and family within campus life. I am not only qualified, but I am passionate about making positive changes to UCCS.
Why do you think you’re fit for this position?
I am fit for this position because I am experienced across a broad range of UCCS; I am a campus employee, commuter student, a club officer, and a current member of SGA. I believe my ability to relate to the greater population of UCCS will make me a great Student Body President.
What are your goals for this position?
My goal is to improve Student Engagement. Working for the Orientation office and the office of First year experience I deal a lot with incoming students to UCCS; I get to see first-hand how student’s engagement and excitement about UCCS fizzles out from when they first start out as students at UCCS to when they are settled as students. Part of this lack of engagement comes from the nature of UCCS, being a commuter school has its advantages (such as the access to a diverse population of non-traditional students), however this means we do not have a central location in which students can connect. I do not propose we fix the location or the nature of our University, but rather make it a priority to emphasize student engagement in our actions. The more engaged our students are, the better we can make the university. In examining this problem, it became apparent that UCCS is lacking one integral aspect of the student experience, which is traditions. Although we cannot create traditions overnight, we want our clubs and organizations to be a moving part in this process. We are going to encourage clubs and help fund club ideas that can be turned into annual events and hopefully future traditions for UCCS.
Do you have previous leadership experience? If so, please explain.
I am the Vice President of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, which entails organizing large group events, coordinating communication with students and speakers, and generally overseeing operations of the club. This position has taught me integral leadership skills such as collaboration and communication.
SGA vice presidential candidate Catriona Clarke
What is your major/year?
I am a third-year student majoring in Mechanical Engineering double minoring in aerospace Engineering and Chemistry.
Have you previously held office in SGA and if so, what was your previous position?
I was previously a Justice in SGA.
Why are you running for this position?
I am running for Student Body Vice President because I am passionate about creating change and encouraging decision making on campus so that the university can improve and grow based on student influences. I believe promoting a culture of kindness throughout the campus community is important in engaging and connecting the student body in getting involved on campus and influencing each other to improve themselves and the university.
Why do you think you’re fit for this position?
I think I am fit for this position because I am not only experienced in many ways that will aide to my success in this position (I’ve been a student athlete, a student researcher at UCCS, and a member of SGA), but I am passionate about the improvement of UCCS as a whole.
What are your goals for this position?
One of my goals is to improve the campus community. For those of you who may not know, I started my higher education journey at the University of Wyoming as a D1 athlete. It quickly became apparent to me that the environment at University of Wyoming, as a student and an athlete, was not supportive nor conducive to my personal growth. I decided to move back to Colorado Springs, where I am from, and attend UCCS. UCCS presented a friendlier and more nurturing environment. Although I found the community I wanted in higher education, there was still work to be done to unify UCCS’s community before the pandemic happened. Now, with our students having so little access to campus and to student life events, there is even more work to be done to get our campus community to a state we can be proud of. One of the things I want to focus on is a relationship with UCCS Alumni’s. By fostering a stronger relationship with the UCCS alumni we can unite future students and past students and create a more unified UCCS community.
Do you have previous leadership experience?
I am currently the Team Lead on a NASA-RASC-AL project, this entails coordinating communication between three different institutions, organizing submissions from over 10 group members, and generally making sure the team is on schedule. I have also been the head Lifeguard at my work, and my swim team captain. These experiences have given me the opportunity to exercise key aspects of leadership, such as organization, flexibility, and responsibility.
For more information on the UCCS SGA candidates, visit the SGA website. Voting information will be made available to students via email.