On Thursday, St. Thomas University’s Student Union (STUSU) announced the results of the spring general election forming their executive team for the next academic year.
Ana Lucia Pavon was confirmed as the next president of STUSU after running uncontested. She is the only returning member of the union’s executive team, spending this past year as the vice president of education.
Alejandra Baca was voted in as VP of Administration, also running uncontested. Sochane Campbell and Camila Baquerizo were victorious in their campaigns for the VP of student life and VP of education positions, respectively.
The election saw a turnout of 285 electors which is 16.7 per cent of the 1,711 electors that were eligible. This turnout is a decrease from last year’s 389 electors, or 24.2 per cent turnout. But, this year’s ballot was an increase from the 2023 spring election that saw 150 electors and 9.1 per cent turnout.
Related: STUSU restarted election, voter turnout increased
Pavon is “really happy” and “looking forward” to her term. She noted that the new team is coming in with a strong sense of familiarity.
“Alejandra, Camila, Sochane, we either shared a hallway, a room or a roof at some point … we are all friends,” said Pavon.
Ellie Namit, the current president of STUSU, said they are “really excited” to see what this team is capable of in the next academic year.
“They are all really great student leaders, I know that they’ve all been incredibly involved,” said Namit.
They added that they have seen “a lot of growth” from Pavon while working together over this academic year.
“She’s so much more confident coming into this role, especially seeing her talk to stakeholders, talking to the government, she’s really found her place in advocacy work which is a massive advantage,” said Namit.
Pavon is already thinking of what she’s going to do in her role next year, with one of her main goals being to increase the visibility of the union.
“I wake up and my first thought is STUSU … I care about transparency and the way people view the union. I want people to not only know it, but also be part of it, join in it.” said Pavon. “I want to specifically focus on retention and care for the students that are already here.”
Baca said that she has “thought quite a bit” about her new role since being officially elected.
“My goals as VP administration are to keep a close eye on the budget, make sure that it’s transparent, that the students have access to it and they know exactly what’s happening with the money,” said Baca.
“At the end of the day, it’s their money and it’s used for them.”
Pavon has plenty of confidence in Baca’s strengths.
“I’ve never known anyone who knows numbers more than her … when it comes to numbers, when it comes to knowing your budget and knowing what you’re doing with numbers, she meshes perfectly,” said Pavon.
Campbell, the new VP of student life, hasn’t worked with STUSU before, but has plenty of experience working around campus.
She is currently the president of the university’s Black Student Alliance and has been a residence advisor for three years, defining herself as “very active” on campus.
One of the main challenges that Campbell has discovered in her time at STU is the lack of engagement from domestic students in extracurriculars around the university.
“That’s a challenge I want to find a way to navigate to get all students to participate,” said Campbell. “I know there’s a stigma around [cliques] but that’s a barrier I want to break. I want to be unified, where we can all work together as one.”
According to Pavon, Campbell’s outreach to students on campus is “perfect” for the team’s goal of increasing the visibility of the union.
“This is perfect because her connection and her way of connecting with the community just really goes into her new role,” she said.
Elected as the VP of Education, Baquerizo called the support she has received from students “heartening.”
“I am sincerely grateful for the trust placed in me and assure you that I will not take it lightly. I am now eager to embark on this journey and advocate for the respect and integrity of the STU students,” said Baquerizo in an email response.
“At the end of the day, I’m here not just as a representative but as someone who genuinely understands the student experience and wants to make it easier, fairer and more accessible for everyone.”
Pavon characterized Baquerizo as “strong” and “well-spoken.” She said that the new VP of education’s history in moot court will help her excel in the role.
“What better experience can you have for advocating for students? Talking to the government will be a walk in the park,” said Pavon. “She’s the most perfect, confident person when she walks into a room.”
Namit mentioned that the current union is working on a newsletter to help with the union’s goal of increasing their engagement. They believe that this team has a lot of “diversity” and “visibility” when it comes to their outreach in different departments around campus.
“I feel like a lot of people know these candidates,” they said.
