Who are the New AUSA Cabinet Members?

With the Andrews University student body electing a new set of Andrews University Student Association (AUSA) officers, eyes will be on the newly elected candidates to see what they will do in office. Despite concerns that the whole election process was practically just a popularity contest, current AUSA president Loren Manrique and the rest of the current AUSA Cabinet have set up an adjusted candidate system to inform voters about who they can vote for through social media content and short speeches/essays about the candidates’ platforms. 

The election winners were able to share more about themselves as students of Andrews and gave some context as to how they plan to lead below. More information about the winners and their plans can be found in this article, which has more from the voice of the officers. 

Below are numbered questions that all of the election winners were asked. Executive Secretary-elect Anna Williams declined to comment.

• What can you provide the student body that no one else can?

• What has best prepared you for leadership?

• What are you looking forward to most about being in the AUSA Cabinet?

• What’s your favorite experience or memory at Andrews?

• What are some of your plans that you hope to accomplish over the next few years?

President – Jakob Kwon (senior, accounting and business finance)

1. “I simply want to extend my hand to the needs of the students. I offer honesty, accountability, and overall prowess to any task that comes my way. Overall, I believe that the students’ votes gave me the opportunity to serve them to the best of my ability.”
2. “I would say many of my family members. To be specific, my Uncle Rob has always been there for me and has given me pointers on how to lead and what to do. He is a leader in his company, and his knowledge is crucial. I would also say that my grandfather has aided me in every aspect of my life. When it comes to experience, I was on my high school executive board, and it was a daunting experience. At Andrews University, I am still in leadership, and all of the experiences and knowledge I’ve learned served me, as well as the people I lead.”
3. “I would have to say the connections established by being part of AUSA. Being part of people’s lives and getting to know the other officers. It’s all about the relationships that are formed.”
4. “There are so many experiences, but if I can put one memory, it would be kayaking with [friends]. These people are true friends to me, and that day was blissful. An opportunity to talk and build more trust between us four.”
5. “I would have to say overall growth in every category of my life. Friendships, work, God, physical, mental, and just anything that follows. I want to make sure I continue to grow as a person.”

Executive Vice President – Alyssa Caruthers (sophomore, political science and English writing)

1. “I think that I am a very hard-working and ‘standing on business’ kind of person. When it comes to responsibilities and things like that, I am very quick to figure out a good idea. I work well with others, too, and I’m not afraid to say ‘no’ and stand up for what I believe in.”
2. “I’m a current AUSA senator, so that gives me a look into what the Constitution is like. A big part of being Vice President is running the [AUSA] Senate, so that gives me an upper hand already, and it makes me a little bit prepared for the position.”
3. “I’m most looking forward to what we can accomplish next school year. We haven’t worked that much together as of right now, but I think it will be interesting to see what we actually do in this next year.”
4. “My favorite experience is having my siblings here with me at Andrews because it really helps, and we’re all so close already, so it’s fun to have them here with me.”
5. “The end goal is to become a lawyer. Next year, I want to be able to do well in this position.”

Vice President of Social Affairs – Samantha Flores (sophomore, music education)

1. “I always had so much fun going to the events planned by AUSA, and I decided that I would love to be a part of creating the events and planning them so that everyone can have a good time.” 
2. “I believe that I’m very good at making connections and adaptable to working with different kinds of people.”
3. “I was my academy’s Social Events Coordinator for two years, so I’ve had to plan a lot of events in the past. I also have a lot of leadership experience because I am the Makarios music director here at Andrews and lead worship at different churches.”
4. I’m looking forward to the new connections and the people I’m going to work with. I’m excited to learn from them and grow together to make this school a better place.”
5. “One [great experience] was singing along with all the freshmen at an orientation event, and anytime I get to lead worship at any of the churches is a great experience.”
6. “My personal goal for next year is to organize my time better to manage all the responsibilities I will have. A priority of mine is to find time to talk with God and learn more about myself and how to grow more as a person.”

Vice President of Interior – Pétala Santos (senior, digital communications and global science)

1. “My vital asset is my advocacy and personal experience with mental health struggles. This is something that I am passionate about, and I believe there is much that can be improved at Andrews.”
2. “I would say that being AULA’s [Andrews University Latino Association] Public Relations Representative and Vice President has shaped me to face and be prepared for any situation, and of course, to work around any adversity.”
3.  “Representing every single voice on campus and starting a new movement to change for the better. And, of course, the events!”
4. “I have fond memories of helping with AULA’s Noche Latina, especially the food, dance, and music. As well as the first AUnited Weekend with creating the runway show to show our beautiful diversity.”
5. “My plans for next year include better discipline in all aspects of my life, investing in my future by learning more about possible paths I can take and making more friends. As for my future, I want to explore the world and my creativity with photography and videos. 

Vice President of Religion – Angelica Torres (freshman, theology)

1. “I think I can provide fresh energy, new perspective, and initiative. Being a young woman in ministry, I think I can advocate for many students' voices and work towards meeting their needs. Additionally, I have lots of experience in spiritual leadership that has prepared me to take on this role. I’ve been growing my spiritual leadership for years, being heavily involved in church and school.”
2. “I’ve had many opportunities that have prepared me for leadership…however, my church pastor [who] supported me, and my position as Religious VP in high school helped me a lot.”
3. “I’m most excited to connect with the student body on behalf of AUSA. I’m excited to use its platform to cater to the students.” 
4. “My favorite memories at Andrews include Change Day and worship nights.”
5. “I plan to grow in leadership, spirituality, and relationship with others.”

Vice President of Public Relations – Katie Davis (junior, social work)

1. “I think that being a social work student, I have learned and gained experience and knowledge about people skills, importance of communication, and openness. My future career will be working with all different types of people from different backgrounds, ages, and values. Having the knowledge and experience with talking with different people will allow me to be a good listening ear on the AUSA team and create a space for the student body to be heard.”
2. Here in Spain, I am doing an internship with the ACA [Adventist Colleges Abroad] program. Follow @esdes.sagunto [on Instagram] to see my content that I have created this semester. I have been able to use my social work, interpersonal, and professional skills to boost up the content on this page by gaining followers, content interactions, and reaching a broader audience. This position has also all been in Spanish, so it makes it challenging. But doing it in another language doesn’t mean that I still don’t have fun. I think that doing it in another language [Spanish] shows that I can connect and create content with various people from different backgrounds and at the same time convey genuineness with culture and values.”
3. “I am most excited about working with a team and growing my leadership skills. I am also excited to bring a new insight into AUSA, and to bring new ideas to the table and have more student involvement.”
4. “When I was a freshman, I joined the soccer team, and I was super excited to play because during my senior year at high school, I couldn’t play. It felt so nice to be on the pitch again. We were playing against Mount Mary University. During the game, I got a hat trick, and [a friend] scored two [goals]. It’s one of my favorite memories, not just because we won but because, for the first time, I felt like a team player and connected to my team. I had never experienced this before, and it’s a core memory I will always have. I hope and pray that this new cabinet will be able to move like a team, and we’ll be able to trust each other just like on a soccer field.”
5. “I will continue to work my last [year] at Andrews studying social work. During this time, I plan to make an impact at Andrews by upholding my promises, conditions, and role as VP for PR. I would love to play for the Cardinal soccer team again since it will be [my] last year…Originally, I wanted to continue and get my Master’s in Social Work, but this year in Spain has me reevaluating that path and searching for other careers. I definitely want to do a mission year somewhere after graduation, but that might have to wait until I figure out what I want to do and establish my career.”