Loyola University Chicago's Unified Student Government Association voices the concerns of the student body by acting as an instrument for cooperation and providing open forum for students, faculty, and administrators. I have been involved in USGA for 2 years and this esteemed organization has defined an important part of my undergraduate experience. Below is a detailed list of my duties and achievements as a Senator in the Unified Student Government Association.

• Ran as a freshman senator my 2nd week at Loyola and lost. Instead of giving up, I earned a spot as a member of the Chief Communications Officer's Committee doing various marketing for USGA.
• After one semester, I ran in Internal Elections and was elected as a Senator. I served in the Safety & Wellness committee for 1 semester. I worked with a number of administrators and learned huge amounts of information about how USGA works and how Loyola's administration functions.
• I served on the Leadership & Transitions Committee at the end of my freshman year and organized a weekend of USGA activities including an all-day training seminar and a banquet. I worked with a $15,000 budget to properly transition new USGA members into the organization.
• At the end of my freshman year, I was elected Chairperson of the Safety & Wellness Committee. For the following semester, I would lead a committee of 7 senators to work with various departments such as Campus Safety, the Wellness Center, the Campus Coalition of Alcohol Initiatives, the Coordination Community Response Team, etc.
• For my sophomore year, I led the Safety & Wellness Committee. We tackled numerous issues including smoking on campus, Campus Safety's acquisition of tasers, general safety, social host laws, alcohol/drug awareness, moving the Wellness Center to a location with adequate space, sexual assault awareness, etc. We held several forums and tabling events advocating for our causes.
• At the end of my sophomore year, I sat on the Spring Elections Committee. I facilitated the elections process of 28 new USGA senators, the Chief Justice Officer, and the Student Body President and Vice President. This included planning meet-and-greets, debates, and working with a budget of about $5,000.

I am constantly challenged in USGA. I find myself having difficult conversations with administrators and peers as well as immense feelings of frustration with the university's actions and procedures. Also, I have met my closest friends at Loyola through student government, and I cherish these relationships as we unite to combat against issues facing the student body. In all, I welcome the trials and tribulations I encounter in student government and truly enjoy witnessing the improvement of the university due to USGA's work.