Programming and Events Committee

The Programming and Events Committee shall be responsible for coordinating academic, social, and wellness activities and programs to benefit the HGSE community and members of the HGSE student body, including:

    Responsibly managing programming and event budgets;
    Maintaining records and templates for reference, including planning documents, speaker contacts, attendance records, and historical budgets;
    Conducting evaluations of events;
    Coordinating joint events co-sponsored by other student groups or schools

(Select up to 8)

Lisha Bornilla (LDIT)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
There are a lot of gaps between the articulation of student needs, issues, and aspirations and the HGSE administration's understanding of the value of executional experience. I want to make sure that recommendations made to administration are actionable and followed through.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
I have served in executive roles in organizational socialization through technology-aided community building in telcos, e-commerce startups, and Fortune 500 management consulting firms.

Abbie Chen (L&T)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
I'm very interested in helping organize meaningful activities to benefit the HGSE community, through connecting people to learn from one another and co-create a transformative learning experience together.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?

  •     Volunteered at the China Education Symposium in 2020 and became a panel co-director in 2021 to form the identity development panel to increase public awareness on identity/purpose development
  •     Organized community-building activities as a South-China cochair at the HGSE Alumni Community-China to connect alumni to learn from each other and empower one another to make positive changes in the field of education
  •     Hosted debate competitions as a board member at the China Debate Association to promote the voice of middle and high school students in China
  •     Organized and coordinated speaker events, prayer meetings, and Bible study sessions at the HGSE Christian Fellowship to share faith, hope, and love with peers


Flora Choi (SLP)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
Hello everyone! My name is Flora, a second year School Leadership Program student. I would like to serve on the Student Council because I want to be YOUR advocate in addressing issues. My goal is to meet your needs so that you can have the BEST possible experience at HGSE. I care deeply about representation, which is not to pursue my own goals and ideas - but yours. As a part-time remote student, I am fully aware that some of us are very disappointed in how our program has turned out this year. And I hope to change that by relaying your concerns and thinking of innovative ways to enhance our experience academically and socially. If I am elected, I am committed to fight for the rights and interests of all HGSE students and to build a diverse and inclusive community together. Whether you are a part-time, full-time, remote, and residential student, let us be heard!
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
Being part of school committees previously has given me the skills to communicate effectively, work with members from diverse cultural background, plan events and set up meetings, and community building. I genuinely love listening to people, hear about their problems, and care about their well-being. I am open to new ideas for improvement, and I understand the importance of confidentiality. I will do my best to engage with you and seek for your input on crucial decisions because your voice matters. Thank you for your consideration. Together, we can work together to envision our ideal HGSE!

Dessiree Cuevas (ELOE)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
After being heavily involved with Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) at the California State University East Bay (CSUEB), I strongly believe I will contribute positively and professionally on a graduate level. During my undergrad, I held different student government positions (First Year Intern, Committees Member, Director of Programming Council, Senator of Online Students & Executive Vice President/Chief of Staff) for ASI. During my time in ASI, I hosted over seventeen events, attended university-wide committees as a voting member, was an advisor from the ASI Senate, and mentor the first-year interns. I also had the opportunity to write around twelve resolutions and had them implemented at my university. As a student leader of CSUEB, I was fortunate enough to be mentored by some of the most innovative minds in higher education and student affairs. Under their guidance, I've honed my advocacy and leadership skills, as well as my knowledge of writing resolutions, developing university-wide events, and advocating at the local and state level. Though serving different student government positions, I have gained valuable knowledge, even having the opportunity to be involved in university projects, but it's time to use my skills to advocate for all HGSE students and make sure we are all being heard and value.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
A leader is someone that does not need a title to make a difference. A leader is someone who is dedicated and is willing to learn and listen from others. Throughout my years of being a part of ASI, has help me understand what it truly means to advocate for all. My dedication is what makes me an unstoppable leader. In every position that I have served, I always give it my all. As the previous Executive Vice President/Chief of Staff of ASI at California State University East Bay, I helped start a toiletries initiative, worked with the University President and VP of Student Affairs to have free feminine products located in the restrooms, and worked with the Academic Senate to include a resource statement for homelessness students on the syllabus, and so much more. If given the opportunity to serve on the Student Council, I know I will make sure to find solutions to the current issues impacting our community.

Kanan Dubal (EPA)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
I want to contribute formally in effectively building the new programs and provide a platform for collective students voices. I believe opinions of students body in formal and informal settings can be a powerful tool and I strongly believe in making student voices heard thereby contributing to a fulfilling year at HGSE. More personally, I am social and affable and would love to make this year amazing for other students in my class and cohort. I have an itch in my activist bones and I would use this opportunity very well.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
I have not served on the school level council before, but I have held positions of leadership at the department level. I have experience in managing budgets, organizing/creating events and have worked with large groups of volunteers.

Natasha Esteves (LDIT)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
I've seen areas for improvement in building a positive cohort culture that could be facilitated by better communication and/or a liaison setup between incoming students and HGSE's leadership and teaching team.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
Since I first joined the Whatsapp group that incoming/ formerly newly admitted students self-organized, I've organized two virtual Happy Hours and have gathered questions from the students for Rilda, one of our program directors, in order to gain and spread some clarity where I saw my fellow classmates confused. Being this sort of liaison/ organizer has been my natural inclination since I accepted the admission offer earlier this year.

 

Ellie Mackintosh (EPA)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
I'm really grateful for the opportunity to be at HGSE, and I would love to help plan events so we can connect and spend time together outside the pressures of a classroom or meeting. Selfishly, I just wanna meet more of you guys :)
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
I was an RA in undergrad, so I have lots of experience planning (fun? I think?) events during a pandemic. I also served on my school's Title IX and COVID-19 Committees, so I'm familiar with the decision-making process surrounding these important issues.

Hannah Morris (ELOE)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
I have always loved the opportunity to give back to my community and to work with others to help improve the student experience. As an international student from Australia, HGSE is going to be my home away from home for the next nine months, and serving on the Student Council would be a way for me to contribute to this making this home a more kind, inclusive, enjoyable and memorable place for us all.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
I have had several student leadership experiences in Australia which I think will help me serve as an effective representative on the HGSE Student Council. In my undergraduate studies at the University of Sydney, I was the founding member and President of the International and Global Studies Society, a society for students in my degree program to network, explore career opportunities, and socialize with each other. I was also Social Director for the Arts Students Society, where I helped organize the first ever Arts Camp and Arts Ball for all undergraduate students. Finally, I was privileged to be elected to serve as a Board Director and then President of the University of Sydney Union, which represented the entire student body of 50,000 students. In all these roles I have loved working with my peers on our leadership team to listen to the students we serve and helping coming up with innovative ways to improve the student experience and address any community issues.

Wonderly Peralta (LDIT)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
I am interested in serving on Student Council because I want to serve my fellow classmates as a strong advocate for their education at HGSE.  Serving on Student Council is important for me because I can make sure the students' voices are heard and validated.  Serving on Student Council can allow me to collaborate with other students in doing good for HGSE.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
My previous experiences as a math teacher and student leadership/student activities teacher have allowed me to with the Associated Student Body student officers and students to being about exciting change in student body activities and student life at my school.  Another experience that I have is a teacher union site representative at my school site, LeyVa Middle School.  I was an advocate for teachers at Evergreen Teachers Association in San Jose, California.  A position I also served in as a California Teachers Association (CTA) Representative in National Education Association (NEA) Representative Assembly.  The NEA Representative Assembly represents all 50 states in strong advocacy for teachers and students.  I have served as an Evergreen Teachers Association (ETA) Representative and a CTA Representative for a total of 7 years.

Carson Quillinan (EPA)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
I genuinely believe in the Harvard Graduate School of Education motto "Learn to Change the World." While that sentiment is inspiring and moving, it is ineffective without action. I am interested in serving on the Student Council because I want to uphold this motto and serve my fellow students through accessibility, connection, and intersectional work.  

Accessibility: Each student has a place here at HGSE but accessing that place has not always been easy. We even lack a disability advocacy group on campus. As we re-enter a world that's post-lockdown, we will be realizing the collective effects we all endured, and some may have needs that we not realized pre-COVID. Accessibility needs to be even more of a priority. If we have been called to "learn to change the world," we need to invite the world, with all its diversity-- including disability-- to accomplish this goal. My hope is that every student is called into HGSE so that it is a home they are proud of.

Connection: The way in which we connect with each other has been deeply impacted over the past year and a half, leaving some to feel isolated. Part- and full-time students, staff, and faculty need opportunities to come together and build back our community, whether that be over a Zoom meditation or laughing over lunch at Gutman! I hope that by serving on the Student Council, I can help us honestly connect, so that we can learn together now, reflect meaningfully on our pasts, and move forward in impactful ways.

Intersectionality: With a stronger, more connected voice, we will be able to join and work together to address the needs of our students. Many of the issues that affect a group of people do not happen in a vacuum. To make meaningful progress, I want to help make connections between people with aligned needs and goals. Through teamwork, deep listening, and dedication we can make such progress.

We are living in a changed world, which means we need leaders who are empathetic, understanding, equitable, and listen to the needs of the students they are serving. This is why I am interested in serving on the Student Council.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
I have served as the president of the Council of Exceptional Children chapter in my undergraduate program in which it was my job to connect students and faculty and organize speakers with a variety of perspectives. I have also been a part of the planning committee for the Oconee County Special Olympics in South Carolina.

I have also served as a policy intern for Disability Rights-Texas (DRTx). I was able to work on projects with diverse stakeholders across a variety of communities. I was able to work with DRTx to advocate for the rights of disabled students in Texas, particularly around discrimination in charter schools, seclusion and restraint, and special education teacher certification.

I have been a special education teacher for the past 4 years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. I have advocated for my teenaged and young adult students to have better access to their school and community, particularly after witnessing the worsening accessibility conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. I also have loved ones in my family and close friends with disabilities that I have supported during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, I served as the lead teacher in my unit. I was able to connect with other teachers and community members, both within the school and outside of the school.  

I have served as an event planning and fundraising intern with the Northwest Florida chapter of The Arc Gateway.

Valentina Tovar (EPA)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
I am passionate about serving in the Student Council because I know the value of advocacy, communication and fellowship to improve the experiences of students, not only academically but holistically. It is very easy for universities to make decisions without having accountability of those they serve and this is where Student Council steps in, to provide a platform and a voice to students and the wide array of needs they face during their graduate experience at HGSE. This is more important now than ever, as the university makes decision about academic experiences through COVID and we are notified quickly, and at times last minute, that may not always be taking the wellbeing of students' experiences into account. Faculty are managing many decisions as they go and having a body of leaders that can be the voice of students and advocate for the best experience possible is very important. Additionally, community and fellowship is a large part of the graduate experience, whether virtually or in-person, regardless of program or length, students want to feel known and have a sense of belonging. I believe Student Council has the capability and platform to this well.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
I served as Executive Vice President of the Student Government Association at Texas A&M University, the second largest university in the United States. We represented the needs and voices of undergraduate and graduate students, with over 68,000 students. We held meetings with the university's presidents and their Vice Presidents of student affairs, health services, academic affairs and many other branches of the university to raise the concerns of students. My role also managed a budget of over $50,000 for the entire student government cabinet and its thirteen committees (a total of 1,000 students) and allocated these funds along with the Student Senate. I also served as the 2019 Class VP during Junior year and advocated for a smaller group of students, planned events, invited speakers and built relationships within the council.Throughout my time there I have seen good communication and advocacy work before and the ways that students can really make an experience their own and leave a positive legacy for those who will come after them. As Diversity Commissioner, I also saw the value of community and creating spaces and opportunities for students to feel seen and known by their faculty and peers and assured an inclusive experiences for students regardless of background, identity and demographics. I want to take all the skills and lessons learnt during my years in leadership at Texas A&M to make HGSE and our short or long experiences here the best ones possible.

Ethan Westfall (LDIT)
Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?
Over my years in school, I rarely felt that student councils knew my needs or were improving my experience in any tangible way. While at HGSE, I want to help the Student Council be more empathetic and impactful for every HGSE student.
What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?
In undergrad I was a program director for a large local organization that sponsored activities to connect adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities with student peers. Planning, adjusting, and executing these activities gave me valuable insight into what it takes to build an inclusive community and I feel that experience will be valuable at HGSE.