The time to elect members of student government for the next academic year has begun. The Undergraduate Students Association Council consists of 15 officers who represent diverse elements to serve the student body. This year, voters have the opportunity to consider 40 candidates on the ballot.

Voting is open for one week, beginning Friday at 2 p.m. and ending May 17 at 2 p.m.

The Daily Bruin Editorial Board endorsed candidates through deliberation based on factors such as qualifications and experience.

The Board reached out to all individuals who wrote candidate profiles on the Elections Board website. Unless otherwise noted, the Board was able to interview all candidates for each position.

President – Adam Tfayli

Adam Tfayli is ready for the demand of being the next USAC President.

The second-year human biology and society student currently serves as the USAC international student representative, which has provided him with foundational experiences to guide his potential role as president. Growing up in a small town in Lebanon, Tfayli came to UCLA determined to make a large school feel more connected, something he has worked to accomplish throughout the past year.

Tfayli’s impact extends far beyond the confines of UCLA. In fact, he serves as the undergraduate representative on the University Committee on Research Policy, a UC-wide committee that advises and coordinates research policy to the Office of the President. Tfayli is the sole undergraduate representative for over 230,000 undergraduate students across all UC campuses, voicing their concerns and opinions.

This year, Tfayli was nominated to meet with the UCLA Chancellor Search committee, where he helped propose qualities for it to consider when choosing the next chancellor. His wide-ranging experience with not only the UCLA administration and USAC but also the broader UC Board of Regents has given him immense knowledge of the university, creating an understanding of what he can achieve as USAC president.

In his role as international student representative, Tfayli was able to accomplish four out of his five platform goals. He collaborated with Counseling and Psychological Services to bring more multinational counselors to the program and provided international students with additional mental health resources and support. Using his various roles as a student advocate, he pushed for the UC Regents to provide international students with more financial aid and scholarships. Tfayli took advantage of his past experiences to build his platforms for this upcoming year, focusing on what his strengths as president would be.

Foremost, Tfayli’s first platform includes enhancing campus safety, which emphasizes that UCLA must reflect its title as a global university and cultivate a safe environment free of discrimination. He plans to implement mandatory diversity training for all campus security and a safety advisory board for minority students. Tfayli’s second platform of boosting post-graduation opportunities follows his past efforts of working with the UCLA Career Center to provide international students with support in finding internships and jobs. Under this platform, Tfayli hopes to increase the Career Center’s impact on services on campus, developing strategies on how the university can best prepare students for future careers.

Moreover, in his third platform of streamlining campus services, Tfayli plans on continuing current efforts to digitize BruinCards, address enrollment issues and enhance campus WiFi. For his final two platforms, expanding funding for clubs and organizations and student health and wellness, Tfayli plans to evolve them as the needs of students change. As a board member himself for multiple organizations, he found that a majority of students are unaware of the USAC funding available to them. Therefore, he wants to spread this awareness and develop plans as they arise throughout the year.

Student needs are constantly changing, and he is prepared to address these they come.

With his robust experience at UCLA and the broader UC, the Board unequivocally endorses Tfayli as USAC President and is confident that he will use his knowledge and skills to make an indelible mark on the student body.

Internal vice president – Josh Garland

Throughout his past three years on campus, Josh Garland has proven his dedication to enhancing the experience of the UCLA student body, which is why the Board endorses Garland for 2024-2025 internal vice president.

Garland is a third-year history and political science student and holds multiple leadership positions on campus. Along with serving as the president of UCLA Taekwondo and the co-editor-in-chief of the journalism club People’s Vanguard of LA, Garland has been heavily involved as a member of USAC. Having already been with the internal vice president’s office for two years, Garland has experience in the IVP office as the director of student involvement last year and as the assistant internal vice president this year.

During his time in USAC, Garland helped organize a concert series in Kerckhoff Hall, planned the True Bruins R.A.I.S.E. ceremony and coordinated the ASUCLA T-shirt contest. This year, Garland assisted with securing $75,000 for IVP’s Housing Relief Fund and allocating the money to students in need. Additionally, he helped run IVP’s Off-Campus Living Fair, which connected UCLA students with landlords across Westwood – an event he plans to host more frequently with the inclusion of more affordable housing groups if elected to IVP.

As a candidate with multiple years of involvement in the IVP office, Garland has demonstrated that he is a leader with attainable goals who has experience not only organizing events for the UCLA community but also helping to manage and delegate tasks to an office of about 70 staff members. With his “Basic Needs,” “Supporting Students” and “Transparency and Accountability” platforms, Garland understands the role of IVP and is equipped with the knowledge of how to effectively implement his missions.

If elected as IVP, Garland would reform the Housing Relief Fund into a Basic Needs Fund to increase accessibility for commuter students. He also wants to expand virtual appointments at the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center along with increasing destress events during finals week and pre-professional opportunities throughout the year by partnering with the Career Center.

Additionally, Garland aims to assist clubs with the process of applying for USAC funding and allocate surplus USAC funds to support student organizations. He hopes to make the Enormous Activities Fair a quarterly event in order to highlight smaller organizations and increase student involvement.

Garland’s impressive track record of commitment to the UCLA community, along with his extensive leadership experience, display his passion for the IVP office and campus life. Given his qualifications, the Board strongly believes Garland is the ideal candidate for 2024-2025 internal vice president.

External vice president – Emma Zhou

Given Emma Zhou’s extensive experience, diverse connections and well-thought-out platforms, which all demonstrate her readiness to effectively advocate for the undergraduate student body, the Daily Bruin Editorial Board has chosen to endorse her for the 2024-2025 external vice president position.

As a third-year public affairs student, Zhou has been deeply involved in USAC for the past three years. She started as an intern in both the EVP and IVP offices, moving on to serve as a director in both during her second year. Her roles as director of campus partnerships in the EVP office, director of accessibility and transparency in the IVP office, along with serving as the Bruin Advocacy Grant chair for two years and as the EVP office’s current director of student relations, have provided her with a solid foundation in student government and advocacy.

Alongside that, Zhou’s experiences serving as a co-founder of the UCLA chapter of the anti-gun violence group Students Demand Action, a UCLA tour guide and the vice president of LeGal, a women-only pre-law society, have equipped her with the skills and connections necessary to effectively represent the student body.

Zhou’s campaign addresses three main topics: affordability, community and engagement.

To tackle affordability, she plans to promote basic needs resources, increase awareness of support services such as the Community Programs Office food closet and van service, and lobby for affordable housing. Her work hosting food insecurity tabling events in collaboration with CalFresh has already led to an increase in student enrollment in the program and helped direct students to campus programs operated by organizations such as Bruin Dine and Swipe Out Hunger.

Zhou also aims to help establish the Safe Parking Initiative, which would provide a safe place for students experiencing housing insecurity and commuter students to park and sleep in their vehicles overnight, complete with access to toilets, sinks and snacks.

Fostering community is another key focus for Zhou. She aims to improve accessibility to USAC by holding weekly EVP office hours in Bruin Plaza, collaborating with advocacy-based organizations and encouraging collaboration among USAC offices.

Her vision for campus safety involves advocating for more Community Service Officers over UCPD, increasing access to harm reduction resources such as Narcan, fentanyl test strips and PrEP, and providing additional institutional support for UCLA’s Collegiate Recovery Program, which assists students in recovery from substance abuse and other addictions.

She also wants to work toward increasing the number of CAPS appointments available to non-UC Student Health Insurance Plan holders from 4 to 8, recognizing that UC SHIP is expensive, and many students might just be on their family plans.

Engagement is the last platform of Zhou’s campaign. She wants to make full use of the funding provided to the EVP office by expanding grants, including the Bruin Advocacy Grant, which has already seen a significant rise in applications under her leadership. She will continue to support the Grassroots Organizers for Working Students Grant, which was introduced this year by the current EVP.

Zhou also wants to introduce a new grant called Cultivating Activism through Legislative Lobbying to support student lobbying efforts. Lastly, she wants to actively promote civic engagement through BruinsVote. As the November general election approaches, Zhou aims to increase voter registration tabling events, advocate for an additional ballot drop box on campus and provide educational resources for first-time voters.

While Zhou recognizes potential obstacles, such as navigating sensitive political issues, she is committed to listening to all perspectives, having difficult conversations and finding common ground to best serve all communities affected.

The Board looks forward to seeing how the EVP office will grow and support Bruins next year with Zhou as its leader.

General representative 1 – Chris Ramsey

Chris Ramsey’s feasible solutions and leadership skills affirm the board’s decision to endorse him as a general representative for the 2024-2025 academic year.

The second-year mathematics/economics student from Kansas is a team player who knows how to effectively and efficiently manage a bureaucratic system. He’s not only the current chair of the USAC Campus Programs Committee but also the president and founder of Bruin Finance Society, a club dedicated to professional career development.

By serving commuter students, low-income students, out-of-state students, international students and first-generation students, Ramsey appears well-attuned to our diverse campus’ current needs with his platforms.

Ramsey’s first platform, “Affordable Tuition Advocacy,” takes a pragmatic approach to dealing with the surge in the price of tuition, a commendable pursuit given how the rising cost of living impacts all students. He plans to reform the scholarship application process for students by automating the direct transfer of student information from the UC application to all scholarship applications so students do not need to separately input information for each scholarship application once admitted.

Another one of Ramsey’s goals is to level the playing field when it comes to career development through his second platform, “Strengthening Career Support.” Ramsey plans to expand opportunities for students to learn technical skills such as how to use Microsoft Excel, which he’s come to realize is quite relevant in several undergraduate courses but isn’t taught by professors.

He also plans to help international students navigate the H-1B visa system when applying for jobs by obligating companies at campus career fairs to publicly disclose whether they sponsor H-1B visas. Ramsey hopes his plan will also encourage companies to reconsider their refusal to hire international students through the visa program.

As an out-of-state student, Ramsey understands the struggle faced by on-campus students who receive little to no support when it comes to figuring out a way to store their belongings after the end of the academic year.

In order to solve this problem, Ramsey came up with his third platform, “Negotiating Summer Storage,” which is committed to working with the university to offer affordable summer storage options. This will be a game changer given the strenuous time and effort it takes to navigate the multitudes of storage services alone.

Ramsey also hopes to fight food insecurity through his fourth platform, “Expanding Meal Plan Options,” by extending meal plans to off-campus and commuter students. It’s a timely and necessary goal given that this academic year, UCLA reinstated its off-campus meal plans, although only in a limited capacity.

The Board wholeheartedly believes Ramsey’s vision will bring necessary and positive change to the student experience at UCLA.

General representative 2 – Vikas Sundar

Vikas Sundar has three main ideas. And as a statistics and data science major, he has a system of operations. That is why the Board strongly endorses Sundar for general representative for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Sundar is a second-year student who served on the Academic Affairs Commission under the Committee of Planning and Budgeting as a first-year. Following that experience, Sundar became a director of affordability and safety for commuter students working under the office of General Representative Gabby Lasry. As the only candidate running for general representative who has prior experience within the office, he will be aided by these experiences in the face of any obstacles and difficulties that may arise.

His ideas are all student-oriented. With a focus on increasing accessibility to commuter, gym and harm reduction resources, Sundar shows a clear commitment to the student population as a whole. His unique perspective as a statistics and data science student allows him to bring a new way of thinking to USAC, which can increase student success and equity across campus.

In his current role as director of affordability and safety for commuter students, Sundar secured $75,000 in funding that will be used to reimburse commuter students this year. He plans to continue this course of action into the next year, proving to be a receptive leader with the passion and sensibility to aid the commuter population of UCLA.

He also draws from his past work as student council president in high school as well as his experience of the death of one of his classmates, which made a profound impact and guided him toward overdose prevention. With a goal to increase access to fentanyl testing strips and Narcan, he plans to increase awareness and access at residential buildings on the Hill as well as the university apartments.

He does not plan to tackle these issues alone. Sundar plans to partner with the student organization End Overdose and expand its services, which shows his desire to be well-connected with students in the UCLA community.

Lastly, Sundar aims to address the seismic reconstruction of the John Wooden Center by not only providing students with the planned outside gym but also gaining financial support from investors such as Wescom to subsidize passes to LA Fitness for students.

Sundar has the proven record and ambition to accomplish his goals. With a clearly outlined plan and a thoughtful approach to difficult issues, the candidate has provided the student body with problem-solving and comprehensive research. His experience within the office and his leadership are ready for the next step.

Given his excellent qualifications and experience, Sundar is well suited for the role of general representative.

General representative 3 – Diego Bollo

The Board strongly endorses Diego Bollo for USAC general representative for the coming 2024-2025 academic year.

Bollo is a second-year labor studies and political science student who is also first-generation. During his first year at UCLA, Bollo struggled to find community among the staggering breadth of our undergraduate student body. This is a phenomenon that nearly every UCLA student experiences. However, Bollo surmounted this relatable obstacle and found his niche.

He is ready to use what he has learned to elevate USAC’s impact on students in a positive, inclusive way.

Bollo ultimately found a haven for himself in Grupo Estudiantil Oaxaqueño de UCLA, an organization composed of students who are either descendants of or affiliated with the Indigenous Oaxacan peoples. GEO has allowed Bollo to lean into the intersectionality between his Chicano and Oaxequeño identities.

Bollo mentioned that his passion and involvement in GEO inspired him to run for general representative, and the Board believes that he will leverage his ethnic and cultural experiences to better serve students of all backgrounds.

Bollo has three main platforms. Having experience with a broad range of student concerns, he aims in his first platform to strengthen the funding of student organizations and ultimately enhance student services and retention. Notably, Bollo wants to ensure that the extra funding driven by UCLA’s commitment to becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution is directed into bettering the undergraduate experience as much as possible.

Secondly, Bollo wants to expand services that provide basic needs and services for students throughout campus. Bollo aims to establish a food closet on the hill, along with implementing a system in which extra swipes are automatically donated into a USAC fund that directly provides meals to Bruins off campus who are facing food insecurity.

Finally, Bollo strives to fight for the unionization of student workers. He aims to secure a $20 minimum wage for students to address the insufficient $16.80 minimum wage that does not adequately match the cost of living in Los Angeles. He also wants to advocate against the recent move by UCLA Dining to lower the meal swipe conversion from $9 to $4.33.

These goals may seem ambitious, but Bollo is suited to tackle them with tenacity. He has served as the director of community engagement in UCLA GEO; he has worked with an immigrant family clinic at UCLA; he has helped undocumented students and their families obtain legal help; he has worked alongside Trabajadores Unidos Workers United of San Francisco to address the concerns of undocumented laborers.

Bollo has an indisputable track record when it comes to addressing inequities in a productive, committed fashion. Therefore, the Board believes that Diego Bollo will be a phenomenal and effective leader as general representative.

Academic Affairs commissioner – Cristopher Espino

Cristopher Espino is a second-year education and social transformation and political science student at UCLA. But even as a second-year, Espino has already engaged in what feels like a lifetime of public service.

It is this experience that leads the Board to readily endorse Espino’s candidacy for Academic Affairs commissioner, a particularly vital USAC position at a research institution where academic concerns often dominate the student experience.

As chief of senate within the AAC Office and a USAC representative on the Academic Senate’s Committee on Academic Freedom, Espino possesses a comprehensive understanding of education issues at the university and a great deal of knowledge in navigating the senate, one of the campus’ major institutions under the UC’s system of shared governance.

During this year, Espino has used this position to help cultivate closer ties between students and faculty through the commission and the senate. He worked on the AAC’s successful campaign to remove permanent incomplete grade notations from student transcripts and made efforts to establish a scholarship for former foster youth to conduct research in Uganda.

Off campus, Espino’s work as an at-large board member on the North Westwood Neighborhood Council and an LA County Youth Commissioner highlights a broader experience in local and city politics that will prove especially valuable in the realms of academia and student government that the Academic Affairs commissioner must juggle as part of their responsibilities.

But Espino’s clear commitment to equity and diversity stretches far beyond his time at UCLA. While serving as a student board member for the Tustin Unified School District, Espino said he helped implement an ethnic studies curriculum for over 10,000 Orange County students.

As a candidate for AAC, Espino merges historical initiatives of the office – including those focused on building a sanctuary campus and increasing academic access, equity and student retention – with new platforms committed to investing in the individual and collective passions of students and building connections and opportunities for students to thrive on campus.

Given Espino’s wealth of leadership experience and determination, the Board enthusiastically supports his candidacy for Academic Affairs commissioner, a role that Espino is more than qualified to take on going into next school year.

Campus Events commissioner – Robbie Hall

In his third year in the Campus Events Commission, Robbie Hall has the experience necessary to lead the office in running events.

The third-year history and political science student’s extensive experience within the CEC and his vision for the commission motivated the Board’s endorsement of Hall for Campus Events commissioner.

As the Speakers Series director this year, Hall has overseen some of the campus’ most successful events, such as a sold-out Trixie Mattel appearance at Ackerman Grand Ballroom. By learning from less successful events, he now knows to avoid making mistakes in the future.

Hall has several goals for the CEC in the 2024-2025 school year. First and foremost is high-quality entertainment. Building on his work this year, Hall hopes to maximize the student experience by emphasizing quality instead of quantity.

The Board was compelled by Hall’s vision to host events that reflect the diverse identities and interests of the student body and was even more convinced by the fact that Hall already backed it up this year.

Hall, along with the Speakers Series staff, has hosted events including an Iranian activism panel, a sex work panel and a comedy set with Atsuko Okatsuka. We appreciate the commission’s efforts to embody the full range of the student experience and seek out events that are fun, educational and valuable to the community.

Hoping to make the commission more accessible to the student body, Hall proposed a feedback form to collect ideas about events and create discourse between students and the commission. He also wants to facilitate more external partnerships to increase funds and advance the CEC name further in the entertainment and business worlds. His final platform involves reinforcing the CEC as a brand, making it well-known among UCLA and the greater LA area.

His passion for the commission and dedication to the UCLA community speak volumes of the energy he would bring to the position next year, and the Board strongly endorses him for next year’s Campus Events commissioner.

Community Service commissioner – Carolyn Wang

Despite running uncontested, the Board maintains that there is no better candidate for Community Service commissioner than Carolyn Wang.

The third-year public affairs and statistics and data science student set concise goals centered around advocacy and accessibility. Her platforms would increase the efficiency, culture and accountability of the Community Service Commission, and her ambitious leadership would expand the outreach and connections of the commission.

Wang’s goal to intertwine advocacy with service and her hope to forge a collaborative network between student organizations would increase the reach and accessibility of resources offered by service organizations.

Wang’s platforms further strive to advocate across diverse communities, expanding the reach of the Community Service Commission to the Mother Organizations coalition and other underrepresented student groups, such as those serving transfer and commuter students.

Wang’s involvement in the Community Service Commission over the past two years as a project liaison director and then external programs co-director has equipped her with experience and knowledge about CSC’s initiatives. Her work alongside over 40 student organizations and student service projects has prepared her to oversee the commission as a whole as she assumes her role as Community Service commissioner.

Wang will specifically use her previous experience as a project liaison director to elevate her third platform of “Reachable Service Resources,” which aims to expand handbooks and workshops for new student organizations. Her personability will help her achieve her “Accountability and TransparenCSC” platform with the objective of offering increased financial transparency and direct communication for students.

Her additional experience as a volunteer guide for Cub Tours and a resident assistant has shaped Wang’s empathetic leadership style. Her extensive involvement with the Community Service Commission’s external initiatives and internal projects will make Wang an effective and knowledgeable leader.

The Board looks forward to watching the growth of the Community Service Commission with Wang as the leader.

Cultural Affairs commissioner – Lekhna Kumaraswamy

The position of Cultural Affairs commissioner is one of the most important roles in fostering a healthy and dynamic engagement with the diversity that exists both within UCLA and in the greater LA area.

The Board strongly supports Lekhna Kumaraswamy as the 2024-2025 Cultural Affairs commissioner.

Kumaraswamy has only been at UCLA for 2 1/2 quarters, but she is well aware of how to be a productive leader within USAC. The first-year mathematics/economics student has worked diligently under the Financial Services Commission as the director of funding initiatives.

The Board believes that Kumaraswamy’s quantitative, logistical and technical expertise will be well suited to a role that involves careful planning and execution of campus-wide events. Much of Kumaraswamy’s platforms are built around being more transparent and efficient with CAC funds.

Kumaraswamy wants to be more transparent about the Cultural Affairs Commission’s finances, providing students with more insight about where the funds are going and how they are being leveraged to achieve the goals of the office. She also wants to prioritize collaboration in her leadership. Through speaking with a wide range of cultural organizations and student media organizations such as the Daily Bruin at least once a quarter, Kumaraswamy will be able to expand her reach and gain a better understanding of what students want most out of the CAC.

Finally, Kumaraswamy is committed to bringing more multicultural events to campus. There is a wide range of ethnic, racial and sociological identities that exist in our vast student body, and the international student from South India understands this as well as anyone else.

The Board believes in Kumaraswamy’s determination and fresh perspective. Undoubtedly, she will fulfill the role of Cultural Affairs commissioner to the best of her abilities – and the UCLA community will benefit.

Alicia Verdugo did not respond to the Board’s interview request.

Facilities commissioner – Alex Paul

The Board strongly believes Alex Paul would make an excellent facilities commissioner. Serving as the director of outreach for her community college’s student government, Paul has gained the relevant leadership and communication skills while also having fresh, innovative ideas that could improve the campus community.

Despite being in her first year at UCLA, the third-year public affairs transfer student is already making numerous contributions as a member of the facilities commission to promote the university’s sustainability and transportation goals.

As co-director of Bruin Bazaar, the UCLA student vendor fair where students can purchase or sell secondhand items, and by spearheading projects such as Sustainable Move Out, an initiative to prevent home good waste at the end of the school year, Paul aims to reduce waste while offering solutions to Bruins in need of a bargain.

As a founding member of Bruin Transportation Alliance, she hopes to bring transportation advocacy to UCLA and improve our campus’s infrastructure. She aims to make Westwood safer and a more bikeable environment, which has led her to attend NWWNC meetings to address these concerns for the community.

Paul is also committed to discussing the historical relationship between these topics and our greater community. Discussions regarding improving UCLA’s transportation are situated in a history of discrimination, which has important implications that need to be taken into consideration. Paul is dedicated to addressing the greater impacts of redlining when enhancing transportation infrastructure and empowering the communities that are historically impacted by this discrimination.

Lastly, Paul is dedicated to advocacy and transparency, offering office hours and actively reaching out to clubs to hear their input when making important decisions. She aims to keep the student body informed about the work of her commission at USAC and the budgeting process.

With her experience and unfaltering motivation in making UCLA a more sustainable, safe and inclusive campus, Paul will make an admirable facilities commissioner this following year.

Financial Supports commissioner – Nico Morrone

As the current chief of staff and in his second year of working in the Financial Supports office, Nico Morrone is ready to hit the ground running if elected as next year’s Financial Supports commissioner.

The second-year financial actuarial mathematics student has obtained a depth of experience in his two years in the Financial Supports Commission. During his time, he helped implement free lab coat rentals and New York Times subscriptions for students, along with currently working on projects such as subsidizing parking permits for commuters and fees for BruinCard replacements.

With a crystal-clear understanding of the ins and outs of the Financial Supports Commission, Morrone will continue to effectively push forward ongoing projects and further enhance the office through financial transparency. Morrone plans to implement audits that will require USAC offices to publicly record where they allocate funds so offices will not only be held accountable for their spending but also rightfully funnel funds directly to students.

Additionally, Morrone’s familiarity with the details of the USAC offices and the Financial Supports commissioner sets him up for a smooth transition into the role, allowing him to take immediate action, as opposed to candidates who may need a transition period because of having less experience with the technicalities of the role.

Aside from his tenure in the Financial Supports Office, Morrone works as a resident assistant in Sproul Cove, where he plays a hands-on role in student life by listening to and guiding students through their concerns. This position has helped Morrone gain a deep understanding of students’ concerns and form a strong connection with Residential Life, which he hopes to leverage next year by increasing the value of meal swipes and ensuring food trucks are offered.

Morrone brings a trustworthy and pragmatic approach to the role with his expansive and specialized experience. The Board is excited to endorse Morrone with full confidence in his ability to assume critical responsibilities and push forth his vision of maximizing financial support for Bruins.

Student Wellness commissioner – Chiara Frank

Coming in with a passion for and extensive background in student health, Chiara Frank is overly qualified for the position of Student Wellness commissioner.

The third-year neuroscience student, who was on the executive board of the SWC last year, is running on five platforms. Her first, which centers around safety through representation, acknowledges the importance of ensuring that the voices of marginalized groups are heard and uplifted. To foster an environment that is inclusive and free of discrimination, she plans to partner with cultural and identity-based organizations on campus as well as hold an identity and health conference that highlights the importance of equitable resources for students.

Frank’s minor in education studies also proves useful in two more of her platforms – sharing the SWC’s wealth of knowledge. “Basic Needs for Bruins” is Frank’s plan to educate students about the Be Well Bruin website, a centralized hub for existing resources that can be utilized. In addition to increasing the accessibility of health resources, Frank also hopes to inform students about their health and teach them how to advocate for those needs. Her health literacy proposals – from supporting student navigation of campus health services to educating students about health insurance and financial wellness to expanding the SWC newsletter to talk about health-based legislation – are clear stepping stones for putting Bruins on the track to success.

Health, of course, comes in many different forms – and Frank understands the importance of initiatives that examine health through an interdisciplinary lens. Her approach takes into consideration the branches of mental, physical, social and environmental health, and she has detailed plans guiding her approach to each of them.

The Board particularly applauds Frank’s willingness in her final platform to increase transparency in SWC to hold itself accountable to the student body. She believes that both the UCLA community and SWC should know how their funds are being handled across initiatives. Bruins should be able to access how SWC is managing money and the procedures that govern the use of that money. With her ideas to promote biweekly recaps of events, quarterly recaps on the allocation of funds and town halls for students to attend, the SWC looks more accessible than ever to the public.

With Frank at the helm, the SWC will undoubtedly build the connections it needs to firmly support the all-around well-being of the campus community.

Reuben Broudy and Evangelina Ocampo did not respond to the Board’s interview request.

Transfer student representative – Carlos Rodriguez

Carlos Rodriguez’s journey from Porterville College to UCLA is inspiring and reflective of his tenacity and determination. He was the first person in his family to graduate from high school and has since worked to broaden his impact to positively influence his communities.

Rodriguez, a first-generation Mexican American and third-year pre-economics transfer student from the Central Valley, has demonstrated a commitment to serving transfer students, leading the Board to endorse him for transfer student representative.

During his time at Porterville, Rodriguez distinguished himself through extensive campus involvement and leadership. Serving as the student body president for two years, he cultivated a deep understanding of diverse campus perspectives, ranging from his fellow students to faculty and administration. This broad insight was further enriched by his role as a custodian, which allowed him unique access and interactions across the college community.

His advocacy extends beyond campus borders. Rodriguez’s participation in the Student Senate for California Community Colleges and the UCDC program, where he worked closely with his hometown’s congressman, David Valadao, showcases his capability to navigate and influence at local, state and national levels.

Rodriguez’s proposed platforms focus on four key areas: improving the transfer pipeline, academic development, professional development and inclusive representation. Each platform is designed with a vision to maximize the success of transfer Bruins.

Recognizing the limited time transfer students spend on campus, Rodriguez aims to streamline their transition so they are fully prepared to leverage all UCLA offers from the moment they arrive. His idea to create a network of stories from Bruins that transferred from each of California’s community colleges is particularly compelling. This initiative seeks to inspire future transfer students by highlighting the successes of their predecessors and fostering a sense of possibility and community.

Rodriguez’s vision and his track record of leadership and advocacy address immediate practical needs and work toward creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for all transfer students.

International student representative – Reagan Scorpio Lee

There is no doubt that coming to UCLA from all corners of the globe presents unprecedented challenges. As an international student from Indonesia, Reagan Scorpio Lee possesses the qualifications and passion for cultivating a thriving community for Bruins of all nationalities.

The business economics student has already proven his ability to skillfully navigate USAC as he currently holds positions in two separate offices. In the IVP office, Lee serves as the Empowering Student Engagement officer, working to ensure that student voices are heard regarding clubs and organizations on campus. Additionally, being a transfer student, Lee serves as the director of non-traditional students in the transfer student representative’s office, advocating for the needs of undocumented, parenting, transfer and international students.

Furthermore, the Board was impressed by his involvement in UCLA Residential Life Learning Centers as the national communication coordinator on the On-Campus Housing Council. By upholding communication between UCLA Housing, USAC and other campus stakeholders, Lee exemplifies robust organizational skills and the expertise needed to forge professional connections as the international student representative.

Lee’s five platforms are innovative yet feasible, aiming to increase the visibility of international students, bolster their sense of belonging and provide accessible resources.

Recognizing the need for international students to feel represented on campus, Lee plans to create an International Students Legislative Council where a student representative from every nationality will have the space to voice their concerns on behalf of their community. To address the lack of support international students may experience away from home, Lee plans to establish a Global Mentorship Initiative to provide international students with a one-on-one mentor to guide them through academics, culture adjustment and homesickness.

To build a strong sense of community, Lee is committed to hosting enjoyable events that showcase diverse cultural backgrounds. For instance, Lee wants to organize a Cultural Gala Dinner with multiple cultural performances for students. Through the International Unity Cup, Lee hopes to bring a sports competition to UCLA featuring representatives from all different nationalities.

Extending beyond initiatives specifically for international students, Lee plans to expand the current food pantry through “No more hungry Bruins” and advocate for increased funding to ensure easy access to affordable and nutritious food. Finally, Lee is strongly dedicated to the pursuit of peace through his fifth platform to promote a ceasefire effort amid international conflict, seeking to maintain student safety and foster open dialogue, understanding and empathy across groups.

With his ample qualifications and unwavering dedication to the campus community, the Board is confident that Lee will lead the community of international students at UCLA to new heights if elected as their USAC representative for the next academic year.