Meet Anna Johnson, Student Trustee

The Student Trustee of Worcester State is an elected position that represents all WSU students on various committees and initiatives across campus. This year, Anna Johnson is serving her second term as Student Trustee.

Class of 2022, Sociology with Pre-Law minor
Hometown | Worcester, MA
Campus Involvement | Third World Alliance, Presidential Student Ambassador, Academic Policy Governance Committee, Bias Incident Response Team, Open Educational Resources Student Ambassador
Community Involvement | MA Board of Higher Education New Undergraduate Education steering committee, Worcester World Cup steering committee

Can you describe the role of the Student Trustee? What do they do for the student body?
My role as Student Trustee is to bring student’s ideas, concerns, and perspectives [to the full Board of Trustees]. My duty is to help make important decisions that will affect the student body and the campus as a whole. [I also] protect the voices of the student body, their interests, and their rights, and make sure that every decision or vote I take is in the best interest of [all] students.

Last year I wrote a proposal to the board requesting a Student Trustee speaking spot on every meeting agenda, something the board never had before.  The proposal was presented to the full board [and approved]; what this does is give me and future Student Trustees the space to bring everyday student’s thoughts, ideas, and concerns to [each meeting].

I also sat on a committee with two other board members and a few Worcester State administrators to help improve diversity within the [Board of Trustees membership]. What this committee did first was diversify the board sub-committees bylaws and provide space each board meeting where different offices and committees can present on [the work they are doing to support] diversity and inclusion on campus.  I also voted to approve the fee freeze which allows the fees to remain the same through the 2021-2022 school year with no additional increase.

What are some of the goals you hope to accomplish while in this position?
I hope to see student interest and benefit in every decision the board makes. 

What do you foresee as some of the challenges you could face in this position?
Like most things in life, it is hard to meet everyone expectations, so a challenge  I foresee is that sometimes I might have to make decisions that might not be in the best interest of every student. But I am going to always make sure that I seek student’s opinions from all over campus before voting or being a part of a  [board decision].

At the end of the year, looking back, what do you hope your fellow students remember about you?
I believe that not every student views or sees me in the same way; some may find my advocacy annoying while others may find it brave or inspiring. Asking people to remember me from my perspective will not be fair to student’s and their opinions, but all I can do is to keep striving to be better and allow my actions to help students to remember me from their point of view. Overall I hope students remember me for my passion to speak up for others and against injustices.

What advice would you give to students who want to make an impact on Worcester State?
I would tell them to never be afraid to speak up, or to take a stand, and to go for what they want without holding back. They  should be resilient, willing, and committed  to whatever it is [that helps them to] make an impact.

What are your current plans for after graduation?
My goal is to go to law school to help find justice for the underrepresented populations in my country and community.

Read more about Anna Johnson in our 2020 Student Spotlight post.