Newly Elected Campus Leaders Share Their Motivations and Visions
The results are in, and the student body has spoken! Now that elections are over, a new group of student leaders has been elected to represent Meredith College. But what drove these individuals to run for office, and what do they hope to achieve during their time? The Herald spoke with several newly elected leaders across the Student Government Association (SGA) and each class to understand their motivations and visions for the future of the Meredith campus.
A Closer Look at the Elections
This year, elections were held on Feb. 10 and Feb. 11 through an online polling system. Before election day, a candidate speech session was held on Feb. 7, an opportunity to hear what the candidates would offer Meredith in the upcoming school year.
Why They Ran
For many elected leaders, their decision to run was rooted in a desire to enact change and advocate for their fellow students. Vice President for the class of 2026, Claire Docton, has been doing research since her sophomore year with Students Supporting Students at North Carolina State University (NCSU) and shared that she has “seen that many Meredith students lack resources to meet their basic needs. Students are skipping meals to afford textbooks, eating one pack of ramen a day, and struggling to make ends meet while staying in school.” Therefore, Docton added that her goal is to “work towards ending this and to make Meredith a hunger-free campus, either while [she is] in office or setting it up so it can happen afterward.”
Others were motivated by a passion for student advocacy and representation. Hannah Holliday, ‘28, shared that her goals as Vice President are to “keep up as many Meredith traditions as possible as well as maintaining a supportive environment for all students.” Holliday hopes to “create a campus where every voice is heard, every student feels valued, and every student is empowered to lead.”
Others ran because they simply loved the Meredith community and felt that being a student government officer gave them invaluable experience for their future and time at Meredith, a sentiment shared by Docton. College can be a hard transition, and finding your place and people can be even more challenging. For Mariella Nugen, Class of 2027 President, she described craving a sense of belonging, and as such, “ becoming involved and running” was one of the first steps on her list. Nugen also went on to describe her experience and the important role it plays in being a leader. Nugen shared that she has many on-campus experiences, including being on the Orientation Crew, serving on the Honor Council as a class representative, and making the Dean’s List.
Getting The Job Done
Being a part of student government at any level is more than a title and network of fellow students. There is more that happens behind the scenes than some may realize. In discussing those challenges and ways to manage them, Sophia Bateman, Class of 2027 STUNT Co-Chair, described stepping up to fill the position last year after no one else offered to. Bateman explained that the stress and fun of planning the event was what motivated her to run again.
Plans for the Future
With elections behind them, the newly elected leaders are now setting their sights on implementing growth and change within the Meredith community. For example, Mia Satterwhite, Class of 2028 President, shared that her goal is to “ increase [her class'] involvement in traditions like Corn and STUNT.” Satterwhite hopes to “encourage all members of 2028 to try new things and get involved on campus!”
The time spent at Meredith is arguably relatively short, and there are many traditions that span that time. Caroline McMullan,‘26, recognized this and dove into action, sharing that she was “very minimally involved in traditions [her] first two years at Meredith- but after the ring ceremony, graduation suddenly felt so close.” McMullan describes her urgency to get involved in traditions in her remaining time at Meredith. As one of the Corn Co-Chairs, McMullan believes that she and her co-chairs could “really make this [year’s] corn and stunt a memorable experience” for the students and create a fond memory for their fellow classmates.
As Meredith embarks on this new chapter of student leadership, it is crucial for every student to stay informed, engaged, and proactive. Working together to support new leaders on campus, the student body can ensure positive changes continue to unfold, making Meredith a more inclusive, innovative, and empowering space for all.
***This list is not exhaustive and a full list of election results was shared via an email from Sophie Phillips via SGA.
By Rebekah-Anne Allen, Contributing writer
Photos courtesy of (in no particular order): Mia Satterwhite, Hannah Holliday, Mariella Nugen, Claire Docton, Caroline McMullan, Sophia Bateman
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