Diana Chávez and Sarah Betts provide snapshots of the 2018-19 candidates for the St. Thomas University Students’ Union executive positions.
President
Brianna Workman
Brianna Workman is a third-year student double majoring in political science, communications and public policy, and is the current vice-president education. She immediately got involved with the community STU community after moving to Fredericton from Oxford Mills, O.N. She’s been a part of STUSU since her first year. She was a representative for Rigby Hall, a residence advisor in Holy Cross House during her second year and recording secretary of STUSU. She was also a regular contributor to The Aquinian in her first and second years and is a member of the moot court team. As vice-president education, she spent the 2017-18 year advocating for students externally. She said she’s seen STUSU from many different angles, which has made her passionate about its role, and the uncontested president position would allow her to be involved in this in even more ways. Workman will focus on building relationships in the STU community, re-engaging council, having a professional and accountable Union and working on sexual violence prevention.
Vice-President Administration
Jarrod Ryan
Jarrod Ryan is a third-year student double majoring in political science and human rights. A native of Fredericton, he wants to get more involved with the campus community and thinks joining the STUSU executive team is a good opportunity to do so. This is his first time running for a STUSU position. As vice-president administration, he said would like to address some issues he came across during his first and second year at STU. His platform includes increased transparency and accountability, establishing a student support committee, student-focused spending, strengthening mental health services and raising awareness surrounding student resources.
Jacob Friesen
Jacob Friesen is a third-year student honouring in philosophy. He transferred from the University of Ottawa and this is his second year at STU. He’s from British Columbia and has lived in many parts of Canada. He is founder and president of the St. Thomas Philosophy Society. While working with the current vice-president administration this year, he realized the important role STUSU plays in helping clubs and societies.
Husoni Raymond
Husoni Raymond is a second-year student from Kingston, Jamaica. He is double majoring in criminology and human rights. He is passionate about being involved and making a positive impact on the campus community, as well as improving fellow students’ experience. Raymond has been involved with STUSU since his first year as vice-president external for Harrington Hall. This year, he was a student representative on the Board of Governors. Outside of STUSU, he is president of the STU Debate Society, a moot court team member, Caribbean Ambassador of STU International Students’ Association and an off-campus committee member. He also works for Student Services as an employment intern. He is interested in social justice, advocacy and student engagement, and believes the vice-president administration position aligns with what he’s passionate about. The main points of his platform are enhanced support for clubs and societies, establishing student advocate position, increased insurance coverage for counseling and transparency and accountability of the Union.
Vice-President Education
Emma Walsh
Emma Walsh is a third-year student pursuing a double-honours in political science and human rights. She is from Oakland, Maine. Walsh has no previous STUSU experience, but has been a member of STUISA for three years and an ambassador for two years. She has helped plan the International Opportunities Fair, as well as the university’s first-ever United Nations Sustainable Development Goals conference. She was a white shirt for welcome week 2017, has worked as a peer tutor, is a member of STU moot court and co-founded STU’s International Law Society, which won the International Moot Court competition last summer. She also interns as a policy adviser for the provincial government. Walsh ran for the vice-president education last year and is interested in making a change in government, negotiating and communicating with those in power. Her main platform points include securing an equitable operating grant for STU from the provincial government, increased health care funding, regulating international tuition and making it more predictable, mobilizing a student-voting campaign and the creation of an international students week.
Anthony Daigle
Anthony Daigle is a second-year student from St. Stephen, N.B majoring in political science. He plans to pursue his bachelor of education after graduating. He has not been a member of STUSU before. Daigle has experience working in advocacy for public school districts regarding government budgets, equal opportunities for students and proper funding. Daigle attended Encounters with Canada, promoted by the Canadian Mental Health Assocation, and brought back ideas for peer support initiatives in public schools. He has attended other student leadership conferences in Atlantic Canada and represented five different schools during the N.B. government’s budget consultation in 2015. Raised by a single mother, Daigle loves the atmosphere of the STU community and believes it’s one big family, but understands financial struggles students face. He was motivated to run for vice-president education because he believes the university should have equal access to government funded money as the other universities in New Brunswick do. His platform also focuses on mental health, Indigenization and sexual abuse prevention.
Nathan Gullison
Nathan Gullison is a second-year student from St. Stephen, N.B. who is majoring in native studies. He is a member of the sexual assault prevention committee, as well as the Irish Society. He has also started the Book Garden Project to get quality literature to disenfranchised citizens in the province and is creating a book club to continue the conversation. He wants to get involved with STUSU as vice-president education because he cares about the campus and the students. He wants to work to make a difference in the quality and accessibility of education. His platform takes a strong stance against tuition hikes, and focuses on increasing student engagement, building relationships between students and faculty and taking an intersectional approach to the policies addressing concerns of students of minority groups.
Vice-President Student Life
Wasiimah Joomun
Wasiimah Joomun is a second-year student studying psychology and criminology. She is from Mauritius, a small island east of Madagascar. She is the international student representative for STUSU, and is also a residence advisor in Vanier Hall and a peer mentor. She is part of STUISA, the STU Debate Society and Global Brigades. She is running for vice-president student life because she values building integrity and inclusion at STU, as well as catering to students’ needs and services. Her platform focuses on transparency of the Union, overall health and wellness, sexual assault awareness and prevention and inclusion of all students, focusing on partnerships with student services on and off campus.
Rebecca Kingston
Rebecca Kingston is a third-year student who is double majoring in history and French. She has been the social inclusion representative for two years and has also been a residence advisor in Harrington Hall for two years. She thinks it’s important to have informed voices at the table seeking to enhance the student life experience with their decisions. She believes her experience with Residence Life fits with her purpose of making students’ lives better. She’s also looking forward to seeing what can be done to improve students’ daily lives. Her platform points include council reform and improvement, expanding student wellness initiatives and fostering more inclusion at STU.
A previous version of this article stated that Anthony Daigle, candidate for vice-president education, was once a residence advisor. Daigle never formerly held the position of a residence advisor.
