Student Tribune

Vote for your Student Government Association Officers

It's that time of year again, for you, the MCC student body to vote for your Student Government Association Officers and the Student Trustee. Below is a list of candidates, the position they are running for and why they are running. Please take the time to read through each and be prepared to vote beginning next Monday, April 19th through Thursday, April 22nd in Blackboard.

Isabella DeRubeis – Undecided Major, Current SGA President, Running again for SGA President

"Hello everyone! My name is Isabella, or Izzy and I am running for the position of President. I have had this position since Fall 2020 and hope to continue serving as a voice for the MCC student body. I am currently a member of the MCCA Association board and serve on the Operations and Personnel Committee. I am also a member of the Student Athlete Leadership council along with the Phi Theta Kappa Honor society. Lastly, I am a member of the women’s basketball team here at MCC. I am running for President of Student Government because I would like to continue the progress made this year, especially as students come back to campus. I have learned so much this year as MCC’s first “first-semester” student president and will continue working hard for the student body. I will bring experience and passion to this position and will work to ensure all students are equally and fairly represented. Lastly, I am an outgoing and creative person and love working with others. I look forward to meeting many of you next school year!"

Naomi Taggart – Biology Major, Current Student Relations Senator, Running for Residence Hall Senator

"I am apart of Student government now and I really like it because it gives me a platform to speak on things important to not only me, but to the student body of MCC. I'm usually on the shyer end and I think SGA has helped me tremendously with being more extroverted, which is a great thing. It's truly a great feeling to be a part of such a caring group of people working towards the same goal. Next semester will be my last semester and I'm really looking forward to going out with a bang and doing so by being a part of SGA."

Daniel Moore – Political Science Major, Running for Student Relations Senator

"Hello everyone! My name is Daniel Moore, and I am running to be your next Student Relations Senator! I am running to be your next Student Relations Senator because I wish to help bring a voice to those who normally do not speak up. By the end of my term, it is my goal to help all students realize their political voice, and not to be afraid to find ways to use it. My job as a Senator is not to just push a personal agenda, rather, an agenda of the collective thoughts of students. In today's society, it is important to realize there are institutional systems that keep people down. As the SR Senator, I will make sure to help make MCC a more equitable place for all through my experience with the Penfield Antiracist Alliance and all help provided by fellow students. One of the main issues surrounding students right now is the inability to use the MCC Fitness Center for regular exercise and fitness due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I promise that I will work closely with the proper channels to get that opened to the MCC Community as soon as possible. After all, increasing physical fitness will help increase positive mental health behavior. This leads me to my third point: Mental Health. Due to the pandemic, counselors at MCC were asked to start holding meetings remotely. Although this works for some, many students do not prefer it. This is why I am proposing a preliminary plan to start allowing students to meet with counselors in person, rather than on Zoom. (Given MCC approval plus County, and State Health Guidelines.) Overall, I am not running for myself, I am running for all of you. Expect Moore! Vote Daniel Moore for the People for 2021!"

Bernard Alexander – Political Science Major, Running for Public Relations Senator

"I am running for office because I have a strong passion and desire to be one of the voices of the many students at this college. I am an excellent listener, orator, and always love to assist others. I am adamant about getting involved in things that I believe in and always look at the bigger picture when it comes to making informed decisions. I would like to help bring about change that positively affects all students, and I am dedicated to creating a welcoming atmosphere where all students feel like they belong."

James Carmody – Psychology Major, Running for Virtual Campus Senator

"I'm motivated to run for local micro-politics in order to improve the quality of life my peers and I can enjoy. The virtual campus at MCC has been a blessing -- I'd like to improve its accessibility, the social side, and hands-on learning that online students like me may use. I've also begun to run for local office in my Town -- thus I think the experiences of representing the student body and of the people in Carmel will complement each other. If elected, I will seek to (1) streamline our online campus -- all online dealings should be the first thing a virtual student sees on MyMCC (2) pro-socialize online learning -- virtual clubs, video games, and even an interactive space similar to an MMOG would make online learning at MCC premier in the state (3) add more hands-on learning to the online curriculum -- we need more than audio-visual stimuli to learn as people, even if we're online students."

Bonnie Montesano – Childhood Education Major, Running for Virtual Campus Senator

"I am a 24 year old mother of a 2 year old boy. I am very smart and outgoing. I am able to multitask and i have a huge heart. i have a lot of ideas helpful to making everyone heard. I was part of the gov. in my high school as well. I am in the education program because even when things get crazy being a stay at home mom, college classes is the one thing that is all me and no one can take or change but me. I had recently applied for the Instagram Spot Light and had 2 posts with that as well. I come from a hard life where everything has been earned. I work hard for what I have and believe in everyone and everything. I am also Latino, I am bilingual and I am able to communicate with so many different types of people. As an online student, I think it’s important that everyone's needs be met in a way that is successful to everyone. Especially during COVID, the transition is so hard for many, Students need in class support that are not able to receive it and so many struggle. It is important that everyone has the best learning program, no matter how the format."

Paula Barlow – Liberal Arts/General Studies Major, Currently SGA Chief of Staff, Running for Student Trustee

"I believe students must have a voice on the Board of Trustees. I have served in Student Government effectively and successfully. I started as a senator and rose to Chief of Staff. I am an active participant while serving on the Students Rights Board, the MCCA Board and have served on the public relations committee, finance committee, and constitution committee. I am a motivated student and ambitious. I will work tirelessly to help my fellow students and advisors in any capacity that I can. It is a passion of mine to be a part of a change that impacts the students and the college. Through my time working in Student Government, I became an effective leader and gained insight into how diverse Monroe Community College is. I will do my best to make sure I keep the lines of communication between the students and the college open. Being the Student Trustee will open these avenues for inclusivity and transparency. I will work with the board to implement any changes that may arise by being an active listener and participating. I also understand that sometimes hard decisions have to be made and to do that, you have to think of what is best in those situations. I have the ability to separate my emotions from the hard decision-making process."

Gue, Melissa
Office of Student Life & Leadership Dev.
04/14/2021