# Vice Chair The Vice Chair’s duties include: Serving as a thought partner to the Executive Chair, - Overseeing meeting logistics, including scheduling and calendar invitations; - Recording attendance at and minutes of all Council meetings; - Maintaining official, current copies of the Constitution and By-Laws; - Managing votes and elections, ensuring everyone is aware of and follows regulations and a proper record of vote counts is kept; - Monitoring the flow of Council meetings and suggesting procedural changes in the interest of fairness and efficiency, and - Monitoring the budget to ensure that expenses do not exceed resources. *(Select 1)* **Ines Bescos Vera (LDIT)** *Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?* I am interested in serving the student council because in only 2 weeks I believe that we need to work towards improving the student experience. Additionally, I think that diversity in the council is crucial when communicating peers' ideas to the HGSE Faculty and staff. *What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?* I have been class representative in my previous program as well as university ambassador. **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. **Andrew Epifanio (EPA)** *Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?* How we listen to others is a way in which we honor their humanity. As an HGSE Student Council representative, I aim to listen to understand the diverse perspectives of my peers and synthesize those perspectives into advocacy that leads to more effective policies. The experiences students have at the school will last a lifetime, and I understand the responsibility that comes with influencing policies which affect those experiences. As an aspiring policymaker, I hope to humbly serve my HGSE peers and honor the richness of their collective experiences. *What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?* The entirety of my professional history is one of public service. From my two years of civilian national service in Washington, D.C. with AmeriCorps to my time as staff co-chair of the campus-wide StanfordVotes initiative at Stanford University, I have been firmly committed to amplifying the voices of others and advancing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). While at Stanford, I was also a member of, and rotational facilitator for, a DEI affinity group examining and challenging white privilege in order to advance equity and inclusion. Finally, my three years of professional experience in higher education equips me to skillfully navigate administrative bureaucracy while representing the voices of my peers. **Erica HyoWan Jang (SSP)** *Why are you interested in serving on Student Council?* As a returning part-time virtual student, I witnessed what my classmates were going through and how the school responded last year. The global situation may have slightly recovered now compared to the previous year and schools are opening up accordingly, but we can tell that it can not be the same as the time before the pandemic. I am grateful to the school for the effort of making our learning space safe and professional. However, while we are heading to the post-pandemic era, different systems and administrations can be necessary for embracing both in-person and virtual students. I would like to participate in ongoing deliberation for improving students' academic, social, and emotional experiences here at HGSE and within the whole of Harvard, on behalf of part-time, virtual, international, female students. By serving on the Student Council, I believe that I will have more chances to speak up for my peers and deliver their voices which I've been hearing from both in-person and virtual students. Moreover, actively participating in Student Council activities will allow me to develop diverse skills that I would need after graduation. I want to build great experiences by contributing to the school and help my colleagues through communication and collaboration. It will be an honor to have the chance to serve on the Students Council as a part of the last cohort in the Specialized Studies Program. *What about your previous experiences positions you to effectively serve on Student Council?* I have served as a class president many times in my early ages, and I loved working for my classmates. I have volunteer experience as a Public Relations Committee Chair at my Rotary club, where communication was essential for the job. I served as a concertmaster of orchestras on three continents, leading and guiding musicians to enhance the orchestral sound, frequently mediating arguments between my team and conductors when there were discords. My years-long living abroad experiences in 6 countries because of studies and careers gave me a broader outlook and a deeper understanding of diverse cultures with unique insights into real-world issues. In addition, being a nonprofit CEO and aspiring social entrepreneur who wishes to contribute to reducing inequality worldwide through education will surely share the school and peers' perspectives. I think of myself as a bridge-builder who connects people, initiates relationships, and shares ideas and resources through my communication skills. If I could serve on the Student Council, I would contribute to the student body based upon my multicultural experience, artistic and philanthropic background, and communication skills. Thank you for your time and consideration. **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. **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.