Sharon Boit, left, and Theresa Ogaosun, right, won the student LCSA election on Oct.5. Photo by Winglee Cheng.
The results of the Lethbridge College student representative election have been announced, with five candidates filling the LCSA Student Council table. They are Theresa Ogaosun, Sharon Boit, Haley Brown, Moaozzama Parvez and Marzelle Cruz. Theresa Ogaosun and Sharona Boyette are two of the candidates who have gained support for representing the voices of international students.
Ogaosun shared her personal experiences and her responsibilities as a student representative. She spoke passionately about her role as an advocate for the student body. She also emphasized her commitment to advocating for the needs of students. Her responsibilities include participating in meetings, proposing ideas and working with the students’ association to address students’ concerns and needs.
“I have always been someone who aspires to be like a guiding light wherever I go. I want to make a positive impact. I am an international student and part of my goal is to make sure that the international students are heard, and I want to represent them,” said Ogaosun.
When it comes to students’ biggest challenges, Ogaosun believes many students feel alone due to lack of accessible resources and opportunities for open discussion. She attributes this to a lack of diversity within the students’ association. She mentions the under-representation of Asians, Blacks and Africans. She emphasizes a balanced approach to diversity is important. This not only fosters inclusion, but also helps students feel connected and understood, especially those from similar backgrounds.
Boyt, who is from Kenya, shares a similar idea and is passionate about diversity at the college. She hopes to create an environment where every culture is recognized. She wants to offer some social events that are culturally diverse, ensuring that one culture does not dominate but that everyone feels represented.
“I am also an international student, so I understand their difficulties. As a student representative, I want to provide a communication bridge for them and let more people understand the needs of international students,” said Boyt.
When asked about working with International Services, they were excited about the prospect. Ogaosun feels the challenges faced by her fellow international peers and is determined to meet their needs so they feel more represented and valued in the college community.
Rome was not built in a day. Ogaosun and Boyt have been preparing for the student representative election for quite some time now. Ogaosun described the process of running for student representative as having clear guidelines and rules to follow. However, a strong campaign team was the key to her success. The team helped her create campaign materials such as leaflets, slogans and videos to get more students aware of what she could bring to them.
When talking about the qualities and skills that student representatives should possess, Ogaosun placed special emphasis on leadership. She believes a good student representative should prioritize others, be approachable, lead behind the scenes, and avoid strict enforcement of rules. Listening is another important skill she believes is essential to effective student leadership.
