Hampton University

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student spotlight

New SGA President Sets Goals for 2009-2010 School Year

Washington

Name: Matthew Washington
Age: 20
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Major: Economics

What are your goals as SGA President?
Some of the goals I find most important are building better relationships with alumni, having a stronger and more positive position in the city of Hampton, and making a better impact in the livelihood and development of students as future leaders. Achieving these goals will make Hampton an even better university.

What are you most looking forward to in this position?
I want to develop as a leader, and help others develop, which is extremely important. Also, I look forward to the learning experience I will have this year through my successes and drawbacks. I am fortunate enough to say that I have developed some good relationships during my time here at Hampton, so I enthusiastically look forward to working with other students, organizations and leaders. It should be very enjoyable.

What do you feel you accomplished as vice president of SGA last school year?
It would be impossible to credit my accomplishments without crediting last year’s president Kayla Platt. She had great ideas, and great determination in making her ideas come to fruition. She implemented Insomnia, HU Beautification Day, and several other events. As her vice-president, I was a very strong support system, and made sure that all of her initiatives happened as effectively as possible, down to the little details. I was lucky to be her vice president.

What legacy would you like to leave to the person who fills the spot after you?
I would like the next president to remember that a leader is as good as those around them. They must have an unbridled interest in the students, and members of the organization. Also, at the core of serving students is caring for them. From caring, comes the courage to properly serve students and the university.

What is the role of the SGA as it relates to HU students?
The simplest way to describe the role of SGA is having a deeply vested interest in the livelihood of both the students and university, and representing the entire student body to administration. We must ensure that the interests and issues of the students are being addressed, as well as those of the university; there's an important difference between the two.

What will be the big events this school year?
Some of the biggest events will be Homecoming, an Alumni Mixer, the second HU Beautification Day, and Student Appreciation Day. There will be several events and initiatives I will be participating in through collaboration with different organizations, and classes. The focus here is for students to have more fun, and also enrich their education through involvement.

- Leha Byrd