Each year, an SGA President is elected to work with members of the Student Senate and the Worcester State community to ensure that WSU is serving the needs of all its students. This year, Erica Hanlon is serving as SGA President.
Class of 2023, Psychology with a concentration in Mental Health Services, minor in Public Health Hometown | Shrewsbury, MA Campus Involvement | Student Senate, Women’s Cross Country Team, Women’s Track Team, 2023 Class Committee, Resident Assistant, Circles of Leadership, Orientation Leader
Erica Hanlon, SGA President
Can you describe the role of the SGA President? What do they do for the student body The SGA President collaborates with the student senate and the rest of the student body to represent our student population and advocate for student needs. The SGA President attends various meetings with administration, alumni, and students to be a voice for the student body.
What are some of the goals you hope to accomplish while in this position? One of my goals is to add a new aspect to the student senate in which each senator will have a focus group on campus to receive feedback from and offer support to. Another goal I have is to increase community outreach through creating opportunities for students to donate to and support the greater Worcester area. Overall, I aim to be an approachable and helpful person for all WSU students.
What do you foresee as some of the challenges you could face in this position? A challenge I foresee in this position is not being able to please everyone, as there will be many different opinions among our student body, and I will need to do my best to represent as many students as possible as well as my own beliefs.
At the end of the year, looking back, what do you hope your fellow students remember about you? At the end of the year, I hope my fellow students will remember me as someone who was genuine, welcoming, helpful, and action-oriented.
What advice would you give to students who are just beginning to explore the type of leader, or the type of person, they hope to become? My key piece of advice is to push yourself to follow what interests you regardless of anyone else’s opinion. If you are thinking about trying something new or stepping up to be in a leadership position, just try for it! No one is judging you and any endeavor for your own personal growth is well worth any potential nerves.
What are your current plans for the next few years? After graduation, I hope to work as a Resident Director at a university while taking graduate classes for my Master’s in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. I also hope to adopt a dog and travel 🙂
