Meet SGA executive secretary candidate Josie Schmitt

Josie Schmitt is running uncontested for Student Government Association executive secretary. The election will take place March 8, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on myBama. 

Ainsley Platt, Staff Reporter

Q: How did you get involved in the SGA?

A: So this time last year, I actually was on a top-five Senate campaign team, and I helped out with the vice president of student affairs campaign team. Ever since then, I knew I wanted to get more involved in the organization and one day hold a higher leadership position. My first official role within SGA was serving as the director of communications for the vice president of student affairs.

Q: What made you decide to run for this position?

A: Throughout my time in SGA, I’ve noticed how passionate everyone on campus is about the organization, whether they’re members or not. This passion is what inspired me to run. I believe that I have the tools necessary to execute this position to the best of my abilities and serve all students on campus.

Q: What are your thoughts on your election being uncontested?

A: I’m really excited for the week to come and I believe that I have served this organization in great capacity, and I believe that I am more than qualified to run for this position.

Q: Why are you the best choice for this position?

A: Due to my various involvement in outside organizations and on-campus clubs, I believe that I have a well-rounded perspective on the various demographics within this university. Therefore, I believe that I can serve as executive secretary and represent all students on campus.

Q: What’s the biggest problem you see on campus?

A: Undoubtedly, when attending an institution that has over 30,000 undergraduate students, it’s really hard to navigate all that there is to offer. I believe that students fail to utilize the resources that are at their disposal. Therefore, I plan to highlight all resources available on campus to all members within the Capstone.

Q: How do you plan to increase SGA transparency?

A: Okay, so essentially, that’s one of the big points on my platform. If elected as executive secretary, I plan to create an environment that promotes effective organization, communication, accountability and transparency. In order to embody these characteristics, I plan to create new clear-cut resources while also highlighting some of our current ones. Some of these ideas include creating an SGA-wide event calendar that’s available to all students on campus to see what events there are throughout the year. I also plan to finalize the Senate initiative tracker, so all students are allowed to see how our initiatives are going. And I also plan to introduce a concept called open office hours which allows for members outside of the organization to come in and personally talk to members of the Executive Council and address any questions, comments or concerns they have with their time here at UA.

Q: What’s your No. 1 goal with this position?

A: I would say that my No. 1 goal is probably to make everyone feel welcomed and make everyone feel heard. I really want to highlight all that there is to offer at UA to all students on campus and just bring awareness to the organization and all that we want to do for our students.

Q. What’s one last thing you want voters to know about you?

A: One last thing I want voters to know about me is that I’m extremely passionate about the position of executive secretary and I believe that my efforts are precedent for the longevity of SGA and the Capstone community. I also want voters to know that I hope they join me and select Schmitt for executive secretary on Tuesday, March 8, from 7 to 7 on myBama.