2023-24 Election

Ashley Potokar

• ashleypotokar@weber.edu
• Senior
• Major: Family Studies
• Minor: Art

Platform:

You are loved. You are wanted. Weber State, your home away from home, is a place where you can BE YOU.

Qualifications:

• Friend to All: I am someone who is a friend to all. I love meeting new people and connecting with them on a variety of different levels. I will be someone who is your biggest supporter. I will always have your back and make sure your voice is heard.
• Current VP of Leadership: As an elected student leader, I demonstrate that I am consistent and reliable in leading a team and have planned multiple leadership conferences. I am organized, efficient and give 100% in all that I do.
• Passionate: I am passionate about Weber State and making it a place where students can feel like they can be themselves. I am passionate about having a great time and creating a culture of homeness.
• Active Communicator: I communicate effectively and efficiently. I am always willing to talk about the ‘elephant in the room’. I will make sure that student’s voices are heard.

Goals/Plans for Office:

• Be You: I want to create a culture amongst the student body where everyone can be themselves. It doesn’t matter our differences, all that matters is that you can be you.
• Weber is home: As you attend Weber State I want Weber to feel like a second home for you. I want you to know that you have a place where you belong.
• Clear Communication: I will help create clear communication across campus. I want to unite all of campus to have one goal and one focus: the students.
• Know your Resources: If Weber is your home, I want you to have all the resources you need to be happy, healthy, and successful here.

Garrett Potokar

• garrettpotokar@mail.weber.edu
• Sophmore
• Major: Professional Sales
• Minor: Computer Science

Platform:

Your Voice Matters. Every student at WSU has an opinion, and that opinion deserves to be heard.

Qualifications:

• Previous experience within the Student Senate as the LGBT+ Student Senator. In my first semester as senator I have been able to pass two resolutions, and am already working on more.
• Previous experience with WSUSA not just as a senator, but as a graphic designer. I have seen the student association from many angles, and regularly attend events.
• Previous leadership experience. I have been able to hold leadership positions within Weber High School Student Government, Weber High Theater Council, and in various work environments.
• Professional background. I have a background that has enabled me with the skills to organize and run professional meetings while maintaining interest and productivity.

Goals/Plans for Office:

• Bring better publicity to the Student Senate. Most students are unaware that the Student Senate exists.
• Bring larger crowds to town halls. Town halls are open forums for students voices to be heard. Many town halls have relatively low attendance, I want to change that!
• Create clear processes for new senators. Being in the Student Senate was a baptism by fire for me. There was no direct training on procedures for different senate sessions, or for how to pass different types of legislation.
• Ensure that student opinion is heard! By encouraging students to attend town halls and enabling senators the tools they need to pass legislation we can ensure that the student voice is heard in a clear and effective manner.

Colette Mortensen

• colettemortensen@weber.edu
• Junior
• Major: Microbiology
• Minor: Chemistry

Platform:

Campus activities are the difference between just going to class and having a memorable college experience. Let's make memories together.

Qualifications:

• WSUSA VP of Activities 2021-22
• Utah Board of Higher Education Campus Safety & Equity Commission 2021-22
• Student Section (The Destruction Zone) Leadership 2019-20
• Student Alumni Association Traditions Co-Chair 2020-21

Goals/Plans for Office:

• Increase collaborations with campus clubs, organizations, and departments to expose students to a rich variety of events.
• Focus resources and efforts on high-impact activities to maximize student involvement and experience.
• Develop a partnership with athletics to increase student support at all sporting events.
• Embrace and celebrate Weber's diverse student population by planning inclusive activities.

Xitlalli Villanueva

• xvillanueva@mail.weber.edu
• Senior
• Major: Microbiology & Sociology
• Minor: Chemistry- Chemical Technician

Platform: 

I will resource and create for you. I will reassure and encourage your voice. I will make sure you are seen for all you are, a diverse human with endless potential.

Qualifications:

• College of Science Senator 21/22 Being the CoS Senator, I’ve been able to tackle diversity issues firsthand. - Knowing how to navigate campus resources and put them to action. - Worked closely with clubs to prioritize effective and diverse change. - Passed a variety of legislation for platforms that promoted an equitable and diverse environment. * Such as getting funding for free feminine hygiene products in WSU bathrooms. - Worked on getting a research platform developed for more equitable research opportunities.
• Pre-Med Club President   -  Led a variety of events that brought direct opportunities to students. Such as getting medical schools to present to WSU students and give 1on1 interviews to aid in their application. - Resourced a variety of information for first generation students, minority students, and low-income students to navigate their way to medical school.  
• WSU Research Fellow/ Scholar   - Being involved in research has given me the opportunity to receive grants and present at a variety of conferences, local and national, but the greatest opportunity it has given me - is to advocate for more diversity in research opportunities. I have networked with a variety of professors and members in higher education to be able to create these diverse spaces of opportunity. I plan to continue this passion for more equitable opportunities for all.  
• McKay Dee Hospital Discovery Program Advisor As an student advisor for the McKay Dee Discovery Program, I have been able to work with college students and high schools students. Developing pathways for their future careers in health. Helping them build endless connections to aid in their health career discovery process. Diversity in health is of great importance to me. Supporting students of all different backgrounds, has helped me ensure diversity stays as a priority in health and education fields.

Goals/Plans for Office:

• Diverse Opportunities: My primary goal for running as WSUSA Vice president of Diversity & Unity, is to create more equitable opportunities. Opportunities that students of Weber State can carry when they leave Weber State. Opportunities such as pushing for an equitable platform in Undergraduate Research, where all students have access to the same opportunities. Talk of Diversity & Unity means nothing, without a backbone in action to back it up. Ensuring equitable opportunities for students, ensures they can leave Weber State with endless open doors. As the CoS Senator, I have been able to tackle diversity issues firsthand. Navigating though endless loopholes to bring effective change. I plan on continuing that fight as VP of Diversity & Unity. Opportunity creates success. I promise to be a resource for opportunities you never knew existed.
• Genuine Diversity: My second goal as VP of Diversity and Unity, is to expand on what genuine diversity looks like. Everyone on this campus comes from different beautiful walks of life. Part of genuine Diversity is to acknowledge each other’s differences and celebrate them. Not just jumble each other’s aspects into one platform of Diversity. We all deserve to be seen, and genuinely acknowledged.
• Active Diversity: My third goal as VP of Diversity and Unity, is to work on active Diversity and Unity. Having a proactive solution to issues that students come face to face with. I believe in tackling the problem from the core, not just sugar coating. We can't create change if it is not proactive and direct. Struggles are not meant to be sugar coated but learned from and used as a template for change. That means holding Weber State accountable in being proactive in change. Such as supporting Women in Stem, living up to the name of a Hispanic serving institution, and supporting Students of Color ALWAYS- not just when it’s convenient. We all deserve to be acknowledged, and our struggles deserve genuine attention.
• Unifying Diversity: My fourth goal as VP of Diversity and Unity, is to create Diversity that is Unifying. We don't all have to have the same loves and hates, but we all owe each other respect and empathy. While everyone struggles are not the same, we all know what struggle is. My goal with Unifying Diversity is to care about each other's problems, as much as we care about our owns. I plan to work closely with staff, students, professors, and all the above to promote campus unity so we can all learn about each other’s struggles with shared experiences from each other. A diverse community is a strong community. I plan to work closely with a variety of diverse resources on campus such as CME and Black Multicultural Center to ensure this.

Naomi Elmer

• naomielmer@mail.weber.edu
• Senior
• Major: Biochemistry
• Minor: Spanish (not declared yet)

Platform:

Connection, Commitment, and Change. Let us be united in our efforts and engagement in the community to create our future.

Qualifications:

• Currently serving as a Representative for Large Days of Service on the Community Engagement Team. Responsibilities including planning, organizing, and supporting volunteer opportunities.
• Service is a core value in my life, it's something I actively seek out. Through ecclesiastical service and local community projects or councils, I have grown in my abilities and want to continue with more work.
• Involved on campus in the Women's Lacrosse Club Presidency where I have learned leadership and teamwork to accomplish goals and stick to a purpose.
• Management of volunteers in large and small scale settings, I am one to encourage others to participate in leadership and learn new skills. Success is something that should be shared among many, not just one.

Goals/Plans for Office:

• Create an environment of inclusion and unity for all students to feel welcome and needed.
• Provide meaningful opportunities to volunteer that impact both our campus and community.
• Involve campus organizations with similar goals and passions to cater to their needs and create more engagement across campus.
• Work with future team members to build a network of campus life that are willing to make a difference as we serve together.

Emily Sorenson

• emilysorenson1@gmail.com
• Senior
• Major: Accounting and Finance

Platform:

Learn: Why students attend Weber Lead: Create confidence and connections with one another Grow: Grow within themselves and uplift those around.

Qualifications:

• Communication: Currently on the activities team and coordinating events with different vendors and using different communication tools.
• Empathy: I am a full-time student who also has a full-time job. I relate to those students who work hard in class and outside of school.
• Respect: Was a part of the Student Fee Recommendation Committee (SFRC) and learned and respected other students and staff when deciding where to disperse the fees that would best benefit students.
• Organization: I like things to be color-coded, number, and organized.

Goals/Plans for Office:

• Collaboration: I want to collaborate with everyone on campus to understand the best approach to making decisions.
• Meet where people are at and develop their leadership skills: I want students to know that it’s ok to ask for help and ask questions.
• Build stronger connections: I want students at Weber State University to understand how many amazing connections there are on campus, with students, professors, and mentors.
• Build confidence within the university community: I want students to be confident in who they are and who they want to be.

Suzanna Luo

• suzannaluo@mail.weber.edu
• Senior
• Major: Chemistry

Platform:

Problems? Let's solve them.

Qualifications:

• Previous senate experience.
• Working with other student leaders.
• Negotiating and mediating during meetings.
• Arranging meetings to fit schedules.

Goals/Plans for Office:

• Create a solution for students impacted by the unofficial 125% financial policy.
• Have a FAFSA training incorporated into orientation.
• Create a cultural sensitivity group to provide consultation for cultural events.
• Establish a students' advocate committee to provide resources and information for students.

Alyssa Zimmerman

• alyssazimmerman@mail.weber.edu
• Sophmore
• Major: Health Sciences, Nursing/Nursing

Platform:

Everyone deserves to feel that they belong! I will foster a unified environment for students. I will be a resource for students and help them to get involved and stay informed!

Goals/Plans for Office:

• I am the current Senator for the Dumke College of Health Professions. Due to this, I am familiar with how Senate operates, and I have been able to work with students and staff to identify specific improvements that I am currently working on addressing and improving.
• I am a Dumke College of Health Professions Health Scholar and Ambassador. I visit high schools all around the area instructing them in healthcare and recruiting them to Weber State University! I am very familiar with the different programs at the college and the different resources that are available to students.
• I am currently a student at Dumke College of Health Professions! I have a personal relationship with both students, faculty, and staff.
• I am a hard worker, I keep a positive attitude, I am honest in the work I do, and I am an effective communicator.

Qualifications:

• I will make sure that every student's voice at Dumke College of Health Professions is heard. I will make sure that every town hall held is well advertised so that students always have a place to feel heard. I will also make myself known to students as a resource that they can use, whether through email or in person, I will be someone that students can turn to and rely on.
• I will effectively communicate. I will work with the dean, faculty advisor, social media and marketing representative, and all student and club representatives to create a monthly calendar for the college of health professions. This calendar will be a resource that students can use at the college to get more involved and make new friends!
• I will be involved with the many different clubs and organizations within the college of health professions, and make sure that every department within the college has representation.
• I will plan activities for the college of health professions that will help students to have fun, get involved, and make new friends!

Killupintu Garrison

• kgarrison@mail.weber.edu
• Major: Master of Education in Higher Education Leadership

Platform:

Diversity of the student body can make universities stronger by forging bonds from all backgrounds. It enables the exchange of ideas between people of all races to achieve one goal, change.

Goals/Plans for Office:

• Encourage pride in our cultural backgrounds, in addition to promoting students to get involved with their campus community and associate organizations. No one should feel shame about their native roots or race, and I hope to inspire many to form those connections with their friends and their professors.
• Create environments and programs where current diversity and inclusion policies are debated and shaped for the current and new generation of students. It’s vital to continue advocating for change in our educational systems, as well as in our higher education administrations.
• Motivate underrepresented student groups to be successful in their academic pursuits through the use of open discussions and to not give up on their dreams because of a setback or an injustice.
• Enhance multicultural respect in our community by including people of numerous cultural backgrounds here in Ogden. I want to improve our current clubs at the university by sending out helpful information to high schools, community organizations, and notable clubs in the area to future students.

Qualifications:

• Throughout my undergraduate and graduate years, I have served in a variety of leadership roles as a proud Wildcat. Currently, I am the secretary for the Weber State Student Alumni Association, previously serving as a chair of traditions. In my role, I connect with students throughout campus activities and leadership service, in addition with other functions. I am proud of my work and still strive to bring an open-minded perspective to not only my fellow students but also to others outside of the university.
• During my undergraduate years, I served as the vice president of the Native American council at the Center for Multicultural Excellence- Weber State University. During my time in this position, I develop a passion for the advocation of diversity and inclusion in the campus environment. I saw how many underrepresented minorities were continuing to struggle in their studies and I wanted to do more, thus choosing to focus on this important topic in some of my graduate research papers.
• As a graduate student, I am currently interning at Shepherd Union as a supervisor at the Wildcard Services Information desk, working with eight student employees. This role has allowed me to further nurture my leadership and communication skills, in addition to giving me an insight into the day-to-day perspectives. I love what I do, as it pertains to my future career goals and my passions.
• I volunteered as a troop leader for the Girl Scouts and DaVinci Academy in Utah. By doing these services, I can be an example to other students. During my senior year at Weber State University, I had an internship at the Stress Relief Center and did Wellness Coaching. I helped students with effective tools to reduce their stress. I felt accomplished to improve their lifestyle by creating effective plans for their health. I have loved volunteering and giving back to people in each role.

Senate seat currently under review