The Student Government Association is seeking applications for the student board member for the ETSU Board of Trustees. Applications are due by Thurs., Feb. 6 at 4 p.m.
The position offers an opportunity for students to provide a student perspective regarding policies and initiatives that affect the university.
Students should apply online through the SGA website and attach their resume alongside the application. Applicants should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and have at least 60 credits by Sept. 1, 2020. They must be enrolled for the 2020-21 academic year.
The applications will be reviewed by an SGA committee.
“ETSU places extreme value on the student voice, and as a result, this first stage of the selection process is run entirely by students,” said Noah McGill, vice president of finance and administration.
Finalists will be notified via email and invited to an interview on Sunday. The new student trustee will then be selected and submitted to the board for approval later this semester.
Current Student Trustee, Cristopher Santana, joined ETSU from Ecuador in 2014 and graduated in 2018, double-majoring in economics and finance. He is currently enrolled as a graduate student.
Santana has been involved in multiple organizations throughout his time at ETSU but felt he could offer even more to the university through the Student Trustee position.
“ETSU has given me so many opportunities over the last five years,” he said. “I saw this opportunity, and I applied because I thought if there’s any way I can give back to this university, this is the way.”
After going through a competitive application process, Santana was selected as the Student Trustee for the 2019-20 academic year.
“I thought I was in a dream,” Santana said of the moment he was selected. “It was pretty exciting. I wasn’t really expecting it.”
He went to Memphis, where he met with other trustees from different universities and received training to prepare him for the role.
Santana said he was welcomed into the board like family.
“They made me feel really welcome,” Santana said. “They were really friendly.”
Of the position, he said that students must be prepared to represent the university.
“It’s a different perspective,” said Santana. “There’s a vision out there that most students don’t know.”
It’s this vision the Student Trustee can be a part of, providing valuable input from a student perspective. Santana said the position has opened his eyes and given him greater understanding in relation to decisions made by the university.
McGill said Santana has done a phenomenal job as Student Trustee this past year.
“The student board member is responsible for keeping our SGA in the know on all significant happenings with the board,” he said. “This position is extremely essential in terms of student representation, and in my opinion, it is essential to optimizing the success of the university.”
Santana offered some parting advice for students interested in applying for the position.
“Do it,” said Santana. “Be confident. Don’t be afraid to apply, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
He said the position has given him skills that will be useful in the real world and helped him develop as a person and a professional.
“You get that experience of giving back,” he said. “It makes you a better person.”
