Matthew Lee, a senator and last year’s chair of the academics committee, will be the treasurer of Suffolk University’s Student Government Association for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Lee, who is a junior from Houston, Texas, majors in political science with a public policy and law concentration. He decided to study at Suffolk University because of its strong Political Science and Law program and its emphasis on different perspectives in the field.
He became a member of SGA with the goal of improving the lives of students and believes SGA provides the best tools to accomplish that. In his previous role as senator and committee chair, he said he already had this experience and appreciated the dialogue with students.
“My job right now is to talk to students and understand any concerns they have, especially for academic issues in and out [of] the classroom. I take those concerns and relay them to important members of administration to find solutions for our students’ concerns,” Lee said.
Now, he is excited for the upcoming year, serving his new position where he wants to focus on the wellbeing and concerns of students and will try to find a solution for their problems.
“I look forward to meeting the needs of the student body and making sure everyone feels heard,” Lee said.
As the new treasurer of SGA, Lee will deal with financial affairs and function as the intermediary for communication that occurs between the finance committee and Suffolk’s clubs and organizations.
“My dialogue with other clubs can make a good event a great one, elevating the Suffolk experience with the events we support. Now and into the future, communication will always be important to the roles I take, making sure students are heard and receive the support they need,” Lee said.
Lee hopes to continue creating a space for students to express their wishes and get the support they need. That could, for example, mean receiving funds from initiatives to host events. But he also wants to advocate for changes to school policies, if necessary.
“Making students feel heard is what I’m looking for,” he said.
His favorite experience in SGA so far has been tabling. SGA has organized discussion rounds on dining concerns, the CARES survey, and other topics that they want student feedback about.
“Tabling has helped me get out of my shell and learn to seek out students in an engaging way. It’s also helped me with my goal to listen to what students have to say and help them feel represented,” Lee said.
Outside of SGA, Lee is a member of Suffolk’s Asian American Association, Vietnamese Student Association and has been a part of the Student Advisory Board of the Center for Teaching and Scholarly Excellence. Outside of his involvement, he enjoys playing video games, exercising at Ridgeway and judging debate rounds.
