Abigail Braaten If elected, I will work to connect Woodring students to the overall WWU community. My major focus will be on the following issues: equitable education for every student, equal representation for minority students and people groups, and building connections between Western and the Bellingham community and schools. I am passionate about building equity for all community members here at Western. I have volunteer experience in leadership with students ages 3-18, and am excited to possibly represent my peers. If elected, I will use my passion for equity, organizational and leadership skills, as well as consider student input in my decisions and actions. We have the power to shape Western into a place where everyone feels welcome, and I’d love to help us move into an inclusive future.

I (Hudson Fox) will push for a more inclusive education curriculum. One that both better represents the needs of students and future teachers. This would include, a) Diversity in curriculum, moving away from traditional research that focuses primarily on white middle class students, to one that better represents the students of Washington classrooms, by increasing focus on LGBTQA+, students of color, disAbility, and gender studies, b) Consent in curriculum, teaching future educators how to teach consent in the classroom, c) Mental health, this includes learning about self-care that is both applicable to future teachers and students. In a field with a high burn out rate (elementary education) it is imperative that proper mental health practices are integrated into our education, d) Unions, why is there not already a class to learn how unions work, and how they are going to affect ones experience as an educator.

The first year of student senate needs people who have experience in student government. My entire college career thus far has been deeply involved with student government and all of its aspects. At Everett Community College I served as the AS Vice President of Clubs and Student Initiatives. This put me as the first line of involvement to helping students with their issues around campus, and especially with their events. I will bring this knowledge to use at Western, to find the hurdles that prevent knowledge of what’s happening and how to progress from getting to us, the students, and take them down. While we all have our focuses, finding resources and activities to guide us along our path, even if it’s to explore options, should not be so difficult.

As an advocate at Whatcom DVSAS and the co-lead of SASHA, an anti-sexual harassment and assault club on campus, my core values are believing and supporting survivors. I am running for this position to work alongside survivors and to amplify their voices in a system that historically suppresses them. I firmly believe that as student activists, we cannot be anti-sexual violence without also being anti-racist. Because of this, I know that my responsibilities as a student representative include recognizing the intersections between these issues, and the intersections between sexual violence and other marginalized identities. It is imperative to me that all student voices are heard, and this position will provide me with a platform to ensure this. As a member of the AS Senate, I promise to continuously and tirelessly advocate for a WWU that holds its administration accountable.