By: Cait Zona
As I stand here today and reflect on my past three years at the University of Central Florida, I am left to consider my start on campus.
Had I been asked when I first stepped onto this campus if I would ever run for President of Student Government, I would have found that hard to imagine. Starting my freshman year, I started to unleash my own legacy at UCF through campus involvement, and in the process, I made UCF my home, rather than just my school. I started engaging in the Office of Student Involvement through Volunteer UCF, and I quickly realized that I had succeeded — UCF was my home.
I wanted to branch out and increase my involvement, so I applied for a vacant Senate seat so that I could begin the process of unleashing my legacy in Student Government.
In joining Senate, I had the opportunity to meet the friend of a lifetime and an ally in good times and bad — Jarell Jones. As two freshmen involved in Student Government, we bonded quickly and began a record of working together to move our campus forward. Over the years, as our involvement in Student Government changed and evolved, I realized how lucky UCF students are to have him working every day on their behalf. Standing here today as a presidential candidate, I cannot imagine having anyone else by my side, running with me.
His drive and knowledge of the campus, which stems from a wealth of experiences in Cabinet, is impressive. I am honored to put my full faith and trust in Jarell as my running mate, and I am confident that he will continue to serve UCF students with honor and distinction.
Working together, I am confident that we have the experience required to bring about the change that UCF students need. We have worked together through three different Student Government administrations, and in doing so, we are uniquely positioned to build on their successes and to learn from their mistakes so that we can unleash our own legacy. With Jarell’s experience in the executive branch and my experience in the legislative branch, we know what it takes for leaders to achieve their goals and what bureaucracy must be overcome to bring about real change for our students.
Our platform, therefore, is formed on a foundation of our direct knowledge of what works and what does not, and on our belief that there is always room for improvement and always time to strive towards perfection. It represents what we as a hopeful administration aim to see happen to make life at UCF more enjoyable for our students, and it represents our own values.
We would be honored by the opportunity to continue to serve you. For all of our time at the University of Central Florida, it has always been our goal to serve you, and we are confident that we have delivered real accomplishments for you.
Our campaign is predicated on a serious, realistic and pragmatic vision for what our university can be. No jokes, no gimmicks, no backroom politics — just serious leadership and results for our students.
Join with us to make our campus a better place to go to school, and together, we can unleash our legacy.
