Weber State University’s Student Association announced the next round of student elected leaders on March 5 at the Weber State Talent Show. The presidential candidates and other leadership winners are as follows.
Presidential Roles
The winner of Student Body President is Ben Ferney, who was re-elected for a second term.
“One year and five days ago I stood here excited and pretty nervous to be Student Body President, and there were a lot of things that I didn’t know were coming, but the one thing I did know is that I was committed and that I was committed to the student body. And that remains the same, if not grown more today,” Ferney said after he was announced as president.
Ben Ferney, who served as WSU’s student body president for the 2020-21 school year, ran again this term. Ferney’s goals include deepening the sense that the student body is a safe place, clear communication across campus, supporting his fellow students and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Being the current student body president, Ferney says he has learned major lessons on how to be a leader.
He won’t “need time to transition into the role and would have a head start to a strong and effective year,” Ferney said in his WSUSA profile on their website.
Hannah Olsen, one of the three presidential candidates, has served on WSUSA in three different positions and served as the the Senate President in 2019-20.
“No matter what comes next, I am eager to use my experience, leadership, dedication and inclusion to get us back, lift you up and stand with you, through it all!” Olsen’s profile on the WSUSA candidates website said.
Olsen wants to focus on leaving Weber State better than she found it. Helping students, faculty and staff feel fulfilled is what Olsen wants WSU to be all about.
Shane Weaver was the final presidential candidate who feels he has what it takes to be a strong leader.
Weaver said his management experience has shown him that satisfying all parties isn’t possible. Working towards a middle ground and hear all voices in the discussion is important when making decisions.
Vice Presidential Roles
The New Executive VP Maren Dawson has had lots of experience in leadership roles across campus and looks forward to fostering a fun college experience. Dawson looks forward to holding events on campus to bring positive experience while keeping students safe through the remainder of the pandemic.
Colette Mortensen was elected to be the Activities VP for the 2021-22 school year. She was the Weber State Student Alumni Association Co-Chair and the Destruction Zone’s Leadership in 2019-2020. Mortensen hopes to work with university an community leaders to host marquee events on campus next year at the end of the pandemic.
William Angel ran uncontested for the position of Diversity and Unity VP. Angel has been a part of Access & Diversity for five years, and he feels that diversity is what makes the Weber State campus unique and beautiful. Angel wants to ensure all students, especially LGBTQ+ students and students of color, feel safe on campus and create a space on campus to talk and learn about pronouns, culture and language.
Megan Ferney took Community Engagement VP. Megan Ferney was also a member of the Community Engagement Team Member. She is looking to inspire others to make a positive difference in their community and increase awareness about service opportunities.
Clubs & Organizations VP went to Masha Mwanganyi. Mwanganyi wants to make students more aware of clubs and organizations available to them across campus. She served as a training leader in a nonprofit organization for six months in DC. Mwangani will strive to bring inclusivity and another friendly face to campus.
Ashley Potokar was elected as the Leadership VP. Potokar hopes to help WSU students see their potential as leaders. She hopes that she has become someone for others to rely on.
There were no candidates for Davis Campus VP this year. After the write-in votes were counted, Katie Nicholson was elected as the Davis VP.
Senator Positions
Seth Perkins was the only candidate for African Diaspora Senator. Perkins wants to bring African Diaspora students together and help students to know that they have a voice in the senate.
Suzanna Luo will be Asian Senator for the 2021-2022 school year and was the only candidate. Luo has good listening skills which she says will aid her in creating a support network for students.
College of Business & Economics Senator goes to Katie George, who said in her platform that she loves her program and university. George hopes to represent the business department in the best way possible, while also improving it and listening to students’ concerns.
College of Education Senator will go to Sammy Caldwell, who wants to create a connected community among the students while also bringing diversity and inclusion to the college. Caldwell was the senator for the college for the 2019-2020 school year as well.
College Of Engineering, Applied Science & Technology will have Paige Dawson as its Senator. Dawson said communication about EAST events and town halls should be readily accessible to students. Dawson wants to get students more involved in clubs and orgs while also getting to know them better.
Savannah Coburn will take the role of Senator for the College of Health Professions. As a healthcare worker, Coburn has a unique knowledge that she says will help her with issues that arise in the medical field. Improving professor and student communication Coburn believes will help set future health care workers up for success.
College of Social and Behavioral Science Senator Kaylei Morris sees herself as a dedicated problem solver who is willing to help her fellow students succeed. Morris also wants to create a “social hour” where students with similar interests can go to meet and socialize.
Davis Campus Senator will go to Kelli Denos, who was the current senator for Davis Campus. Denos wants to connect the communication between Ogden campus and Davis campus and their students.
New Graduate Senator Kris Sanford will help to foster a group for all graduate students, in all graduate studies instead of “several different communities spread across many different departments.”
Enallia Brooks is next years Housing & Resident Life Senator. Brooks is passionate about bringing change to the housing on campus and has been living in student housing for three years. Brooks wants to partner with leadership to bring more involvement with students living on campus.
Suresh Shrestha hopes to achieve while being WSU’s International Senator for the upcoming year. Shrestha wants to help these students get involved as well as know about on campus jobs and scholarships that can help them with finances.
Students with Disabilities Senator will be Mykala Spangler, who wants to make students with disabilities feel included and educate others on campus about disabilities and what that means for them on campus. Spangler says she is constantly learning about their needs and what they need.
Traditional & General Studies Senator, Veterans Senator, Athletics and Club Sports Senator, College of Arts and Humanities Senator Native American, Non-Traditional, Pacific Islander Senator, College of Science Senator, Hispanic Senator and Honors/BIS Senator had no candidates.
