VOTE HERE
Voting for AS Student Senate Elections will take place from 12:00 a.m. Monday, Oct. 25 to 4:00 p.n. Friday, Oct. 30.
The students running to represent the student body at-large are: Dacey Durbin, Jasmine Fast, Katie Hill, Jasleen Kaur, Leki Paongo, Alex Park, Ashley Ryan, Sameer Shorab, Nathan Sim, Julia Stick and Collette Webb.
Dacey Durbin
Hi! I am Dacey Durbin, a freshman, and I would be so honored to serve on the Student Senate of the ASWWU. The college experience is something each student has been looking forward to, and we all deserve to feel part of an accepting community. One of my largest goals is to connect and enhance the relationship between the remote and on-campus students. I would love to get involved and do my part in making sure Western is a safe, diverse, and inclusive campus, even though I am not in Bellingham. I feel confident speaking up about important, and sometimes difficult, issues and subjects. I am passionate about student advocacy, and I would use this platform to lift the voices of all Western students. Thank you for considering me!
Jasmine Fast
My name is Jasmine Fast and I am running for the At-Large position of your AS Student Senate. I love the tight knit community Western Washington University offers and want to be a bigger part of it. As a former Greenways Advisory Committee member and current Cordata Neighborhood Association Board Member, my interest in political activism brought to my attention areas and groups that are seldom represented. As an AS Senate Member, I will represent mothers, minority groups, family values, and the environment. ASWWU needs representation of single, working mothers that understand and empathize with the balance of home, work, and school life. I will focus resources for mental health, food insecurity, community building, and other necessities. Elect Jasmine Fast as your AS Student Senate member, At-Large.
Katie Hill
Hello, my name is Katie Hill, and I am running for an at-large senate seat at Western Washington University this year. I believe my openness to new ideas and challenges will make me a fair and valued member of the senate. The challenges facing all of us is the fight against Covid-19 and the social and economic unrest around us. I want to make this year memorable in a positive way, as the negatives are shining far too bright. With your vote, I can help bring positivity to Western and our community, and if elected, I will work diligently for every Western community member to provide a comfortable learning atmosphere, and I won’t let you down. My name is Katie Hill, and if you let me, I will work hard every day to achieve my goals of positively impacting this campus and making a difference in the AS Senate.
Jasleen Kaur
I am Jasleen Kaur, 19 years old and this is my first quarter at Western Washington University. I moved to the States from India about 3 years ago. Moving to a new country was really hard for me but at the same time it is a great experience too. I am discovering new things, cultures, meeting new people and getting familiar with their languages, traditions and cultures which I enjoy the most. I have been a student Senator at Whatcom Community College for one school year where I developed real life skills including leadership, project management, budget management, parliamentary procedures. I am running for Senate at WWU to advocate student concerns of Vikings and raise awareness about things, make new connections, to make all the students feel welcomed, heard and to make their schoolexperience even better.
Leki Paongo
Hailing from Salt Lake City, UT, my name is Leki Paongo and I am a Freshman. I have always liked being involved with school and student government is a good way to stay involved with the community. With everything being online, I want to create new ways for us as students to interact outside of school. From what we have seen, it is going to be a crazy year. With everything going on, I hope I get the opportunity to make that crazy year still worth it. There are a lot of things that we had to miss out on with the continuous spread of coronavirus. However, I still think that we could cultivate a community that still gets to experience college in the best way and still be safe from the ongoing pandemic.
Alex Park
Hello there! I’m Alex Park (she/they), a WWU freshman, and I’m excited to run for an at-large senate position. As an at-large Senator, I hope to represent you in every way possible. My goals for this year are to improve communication between the students in the Senate and the students of Western. I will work to create different channels of communication, starting with social media engagement and accessible emails spanning all the way to open access to zoom calls with the Senate. I want to create the best possible space for all students to learn and thrive here at Western. I chose Western for the warm and welcoming community and the academic opportunities the school offers. I will do my absolute best to uphold and improve Western’s opportunities, community, and accessibility. I cannot wait to represent you!
Ashley Ryan
A student’s well-being is most important among all things. Without strong mental health it is difficult to perform well in other areas of life. I believe I would be a great mental health advocate given I have depression, anxiety, and PTSD. However I have significantly gotten a lot better ever since I have been diagnosed two years ago to the point of where I support others who are struggling. Honestly all I want is for everybody to be happy because I believe everybody deserves the best. I can understand the struggles students have with mental health. I want to make sure all students have a safe place to go when in times of struggle and somebody to help them (whether friend, family, or a professional). Covid has impacted a lot of people and has made it harder for people to access the help they need. Mental health is extremely important right now and needs to be addressed – for everyone.
Sameer Shorab
Making people smile is nice and receiving one back is always better. It brings me genuine joy to see people laugh and smile especially when it looks like they haven’t in a while. In the Zoom era most of my smiling happens remotely. As a Washingtonian who values critical thought, creativity, and sustainability, and who greatly admires Western’s commitment to student success, I would be so grateful for an opportunity to serve on student senate. I am a person of color who is devoted to equity and justice, and respect for the rights and dignity of every person. I have always been told that my smile melts hearts, and my ability to cross the divisions of gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, and class has allowed me to hold many leadership positions. With my experience and smile I intend to continue working towards inclusion, diversity, equity, and kindness towards all humanity.
Nathan Sim
Hi!! My name is Nathan J Sim and I am a freshman running for the position as your at-large senator! I believe in an inclusive and embracing WWU! I am running for your at-large senator because I know that many of us doing online college are struggling — not just academically — but mentally and emotionally as well. I understand feeling disengaged from both your schoolwork, professors, and most importantly all the new friends you would have made on campus. If you decide to vote for Nathan Sim I promise you that I will fight for more leniency from our professors, create fun events(once COVID is over)to socialize with people, and be personable to you as a friend and a senator.
Julia Stick
It’s important to me that everyone here at Western Washington University feels accepted and free to be who they are. I want to be your Student Senator because every WWU student deserves to be represented by those in charge on campus. If you vote for me, I’ll do my best to make your voice heard, and make you feel like you have a say on what happens at WWU. My goal is to fight for those who can’t while making decisions that are in the best interest of all students here. During my time as Student Senator, I will make sure that we are actively anti-racist, and respectful to students of all different backgrounds.
Collette Webb
I am a first-year here on campus and am currently enrolled in the honors program. During high school I was very involved, from varsity soccer to various clubs, most notably Key Club. This club is a volunteer-based program that focuses on projects to benefit the community. Although my time here at Western is just starting, I am a quick learner with a strong desire to be involved in the WWU community and listen to various voices around campus. I want to be a positive part of this year’s student senate with the goal of bringing more inclusiveness and programs to help navigate Covid-19. I believe a fresh voice like mine can bring a fresh take on policy in your student government.
Editor’s Note: All photos and statements were provided by the candidates and not edited in any capacity by the AS Review. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Correction issued Oct. 15, 2020 at 12:40 p.m. to remove Jade Hedeen and Finnegan Kurtz from the candidate list.
Correction issued Oct. 17, 2020 at 3:23 p.m. to update Jasleen Kaur and Sameer Shorab’s candidate statements in order for them to abide by election length guidelines.
Correction issued Oct. 20, 2020 at 12:56 p.m. to remove Olivia Caldwell from the candidate list.