2019-2020 Student Body President/Regent, Vice President Sworn In

2019-2020 Student Body President Aya Yousuf and Vice President Jabin Moore were sworn into office on Monday, April 15.

University Communications asked Yousuf to share some information about her vision for UNO and why she loves being a Maverick.

Q. Why did you run for president?

A. I decided to run after my observations about the engagement of our student body. Some students might not be able to get involved on campus due to resources, events, and campus organizations that they are not aware of. There are so many different issues that remain unsolved and unnoticed, which also motivated me to take action and run for Student Body President. I wholeheartedly love meeting new students. Every Maverick here has a unique experience and background, which encouraged me and continues to encourage me to continue my passion of serving other students. Student Government is filled with dedicated and passionate students who all work together to improve our student experience and campus. I am very thankful for all of the opportunities UNO has provided me with and I want to give back to the community that gave so much. Running for Student Body President gave me the opportunity to continue my passion of serving and working for students. I am very honored for having the opportunity to serve with my teammate, Jabin Moore, who also shares the same passion for implementing positive change on our campus.

Q. What is something you want to accomplish during your time as president?

A. One of our main goals for next year is to increase student engagement on campus. Our campus is filled with endless opportunities to get involved and we want to cultivate an environment of Mav spirit and student engagement to create a community in which student organizations are promoted well. Our focus will be on student organizations and providing them with the right resources to promote themselves and have higher student engagement. I would also love to work with students, faculty, and administrators to implement more learning communities and cohort-based communities, in which students who share a similar interest can work together and build their networks and leadership development. I am a strong advocate for making sure that students have the needed resources to be both academically and personally successful. In addition, my goal is to improve transparency and engagement between Student Government and the student body. Specifically, my hope is to create a monthly newsletter on the bullseye for students to access and provide any feedback or concerns they may have. Above all, my main goal is to always be available and ready to help students with whatever they may need.

Q. Why did you decide to come to UNO?

A. I started to learn more about UNO during my junior year of high school. I got the opportunity to connect with the Political Science department through the Nebraska Civil Leadership Program, which allowed me to meet and connect with faculty and staff. This opportunity gave me first hand experience on what UNO is about, the community we have on campus, and what our values are. In addition, the Goodrich Scholarship Program has provided me with an endless network of support and helped me call UNO my second home. The welcoming and supporting environment on our campus drew me to UNO.

Q. What is one of your favorite things about being a Maverick?

A. My favorite thing is the community we have on our campus. We have students from various backgrounds and beliefs, yet all of them come to UNO to create a welcoming and diverse environment on our campus. I also love the hockey and bell tower tradition we have on campus!

Want to learn more? UNO's student newspaper, the Gateway, wrote a feature on Yousuf.

Meet your new Student Body President and Vice President: Aya Yousuf & Jabin Moore

Congrats Aya and Jabin!