Candidates running for Suffolk’s Student Government Association e-board for next academic year have been campaigning across campus and online for the past few weeks.

With voting running March 2-4, The Journal spoke with each student running for president, vice president, secretary and treasurer to learn more about their backgrounds, campaigns and goals for the coming academic year.

President

Fayth Cordeiro

SGA presidential candidate Fayth Cordeiro is a public relations major and member of the class of 2028. She is the communications director for Suffolk Democrats and both a first-generation American and a college student.

Cordeiro was first elected as a senator in the Spring of 2024 and later as the speaker for the class of 2028. She is also the vice chair of the academics committee, where her main task is to run the weekly Senator Sit Down event, where students can discuss their wants and needs directly with senators.

Recalling her hesitance to become involved in SGA as a freshman and hoping to reach people in the same position, Cordeiro’s main goal is to make the association accessible to more students.

“I want [freshmen] to feel welcome to SGA, especially because it’s a club for students. The whole motto is ‘by the students, for the students,’” said Cordeiro. 

She emphasizes that inclusivity and accessibility are at the core of her campaign platform, and she hopes new students will see SGA as a resource rather than an intimidating organization.

Additionally, Cordeiro wants to make students aware that they don’t have to be an elected official to participate in SGA. One of her hopes is to work to fix communication between the organization and students, as well as improve education on what SGA is able to do.

“A lot of people think we have a lot more power than we do,” said Cordeiro, “But our main power is to advocate for students.”

Cordeiro hopes that this increased awareness about the function of SGA and improved outreach to students will help improve the experiences of students at the university, especially in regards to community.

“I hate seeing students coming in [to Suffolk], loving it, and then [leaving] because … they didn’t find their community and community can make such a big difference,” said Cordeiro.

Cordeiro’s reasoning behind her involvement in SGA and her campaign for president is largely inspired by her first-generation status.

Cordeiro highlights how both her experience of being underinformed and subsequent learning experiences have fueled her determination to make Suffolk students feel supported and seen.

“I didn’t know what I was doing coming into college. Having to make those connections and finding the end result really made me drive more for everything I do. If I have an end goal, I definitely want to achieve it.”

Cordeiro wants students to know that she prides herself on her ability to relate to students and that listening is the first step towards meaningful change. 

“Even if I can’t relate to you, I’ll listen to your struggles. I’ll even try to help you as much as I can,” said Cordeiro.

As a final note to the student body, Cordeiro’s involvement with the Senator Sit Downs is consistent with her attitude as an SGA member.

“I really just love chitchatting and I do love making change,” said Cordeiro. “If [students] ever want to talk to me, I’ll talk.”

Frank Ezhan

Frank Ezhan is a finance major and member of the class of 2027. He is a member of the African Student Association and the Black Student Union. Ezhan was also an orientation leader during the 2024 orientation program and is a first-generation American.

Ezhan was elected as the head of the Financial Committee for the class of 2027 as a sophomore and as the treasurer of SGA this past fall.

The main goal of Ezhan’s campaign is to turn the SGA back towards working on improving the student experience, a focus that stems from his earliest days of involvement with the organization, when an initiative was created to ensure free laundry for students.

“When I got to SGA, I was like, ‘This is so cool!’ But for the last two years, I feel like we had not pumped out something … where it was just so student-focused,” said Ezhan. “I love how we’ve been focused on the administration and kind of settling those main things, but … let’s go back to the people, the forefront, the student experience.”

Ezhan finds that this lack of initiatives related to the student experience is a partial factor in retention problems at Suffolk University, which he hopes he will be able to improve.

“People come to school, they have focus, they enjoy their time for a little bit, but then [at] some point it just trickles out and the joy isn’t there as much, and they might transfer schools,” said Ezhan.

These improvements to the student experience at Suffolk would come in the form of smaller changes, as Ezhan believes that tackling too many issues at once is not as efficient.

“Let’s say, for example, there’s not a bunch of charging spots where people can just get a free charger and go charge [their phone] up real quick. That is something that just makes your life easier and now you get to enjoy your experience even a little bit more,” said Ezhan. “If I can do that for the student body, I [will] have felt like I succeeded in this position.”

Ezhan states that his drive for his involvement in SGA comes from his innate leadership and speaking skills.

“Every one of my family members, coaches or even teachers have always told me, ‘Frank, you’re a leader in the room,’” said Ezhan. “When I came into the school, I was like, ‘Why not me, right?’”

Where these supportive figures have encouraged him in the past, Ezhan hopes that he can play this role for Suffolk students. 

“I like to think of myself like a coach, just making sure that my fellow peers feel confident in themselves and their ability to get the job done,” he said.

Although he may present with a comedic demeanor, Ezhan highlighted his dedication to his role as a representative. 

“I like to bring joy as a factor of [SGA,] but I would also like for the student body to know I’m a very simplistic and structured individual at the end of the day,” said Ezhan.

Vice President

Kayleigh Carey

Incumbent Vice President Kayleigh Carey is running for re-election this semester. Approaching her senior year at Suffolk, the junior public relations and film major said she is excited about the prospect of another year in office and is confident she can do the job just as well as the first time. 

“Not only do I want to see better for the school, but I have a lot of experience being vice president,” said Carey. “I can be fun, but I also have a serious side of me that I can take on.”

The role of vice president is not one that Carey takes lightly — she said she has had a more serious approach to the role in the past, but is ready to relax a little and offer even more support to her fellow e-board members. 

“I think that’s why I want to run again,” said Carey.  “I am ready to step in and help whoever does become president, as I think I’m good at setting the structure and making sure we’re following rules in SGA while also still engaging with the students because they are our main focus.” 

The message that Carey says she most wants to send to Suffolk students is that she is here for them. Her focus for her campaign is that she is simply one call away, always willing to help wherever she can.

“I want to be here for you, I want to be a support,” said Carey. “My whole campaign is like, I’m a call away. I’m supposed to be here for you and support you and I want to keep engaging that for SGA next year, especially within our board and our senate.”

Eliza Bryant

Eliza Bryant is a sophomore English major minoring in law and is hoping to step into the role of vice president as a safe space and mediator for students. As a current class of 2028 senator and chair of the academics committee, Bryant is dedicated to working hard so her fellow students can relax. 

“I feel like there’s a lot going on in the world and we’re all college students which is stressful enough as it is,” said Bryant. “I feel like it would be very helpful to know that [the students] have someone they can trust in a position of power.” 

In high school, Bryant was vice president of her senior class and said that helped her realize that she thrives in leadership positions and spaces where she can help make important decisions, even when things get tough. 

“I think it would be great to have someone who can understand these disciplinary matters and figure out the best way to mediate them,” said Bryant. 

Bryant said she is willing to do the behind-the-scenes work that maybe goes unnoticed by most, but is still a crucial part of running SGA. Working hard so others don’t have to, she says, is the main focus of her campaign.

“I want to run a very fun, light-hearted campaign,” said Bryant. “Really focusing on telling people that I’m someone they can put their trust in. If I was in this role, I would very much still be working so that they can relax.”

Kaylee Sanchez

Kaylee Sanchez is a sophomore political science major from Taunton, Massachusetts. Currently holding a position as a class of 2028 senator, Sanchez says her main goal and primary motivation for running is to make a positive impact in anyone’s life, big or small. 

“Whether it’s one person or the whole student body, big or small, it doesn’t matter to me,” said Sanchez. “If I can help or make a positive change in at least one person’s life, then I’m satisfied.”

As a political science major, Sanchez is not involved in SGA just for convenience or because she feels she should be — she genuinely enjoys it and takes the time to do her job well. 

“I’ve been involved in SGA since my freshman year,” said Sanchez. “It’s been something that I really enjoy here at Suffolk, and something that I put a lot of effort and time into.” 

Sanchez says she gives partial credit for her success in SGA to former Vice President Grace Kane, who Sanchez says served as a mentor and experienced guide for Sanchez during her freshman year. 

“Seeing her as vice president and seeing her make the impact that she did really encouraged me to also go for a similar type of leadership position,” said Sanchez. 

Sanchez is also a part of the SGA’s student judicial review board, a committee mostly overseen by the vice president. Being a part of this group and doing things like revising the constitution and overseeing elections has, according to Sanchez, inspired her to pursue the e-board position.  

Sanchez advises all Suffolk students to pursue their passions no matter what, and says she wants to remind everyone that they are capable of anything they set their mind to. 

“Take any opportunity that is thrown at you; even if you think you are unqualified or someone else is better, take the opportunity,” said Sanchez. “You are always capable of doing it, recognize your value, recognize how hard you work.” 

Secretary

Khadijah Mukhtar

A current senator-at-large in the Student Government Association, Khadijah Mukhtar, a junior international relations major, sets her sights on the secretary candidacy. 

Outside of SGA, Mukhtar is president of the K-Pop club, a trustee ambassador and a member of the African Student Association.

Mukhtar has been part of SGA since her freshman year at Suffolk and has been a senator-at-large since. She aims to bring transparency and make the idea of what SGA is seem less intimidating to other students. 

“I feel like a lot of people look into SGA and they’re like ‘It’s only poli-sci majors or it’s only the people who are currently in it,’ which it’s not because anyone can literally go to any meeting,” said Mukhtar.

Mukhtar wants to show other students that the SGA isn’t all business; it can be fun too. She also wants to draw attention to some of the minority groups that have previously not been given representation. 

“There is currently only one prayer room here on campus and it’s all the way in Sawyer. A lot of students don’t have classes in Sawyer,” said Mukhtar. 

Mukhtar wants to bring diversity, being an international student from Nigeria herself. 

“Especially like now, it’s quite a scary time for immigrants and international students, like we don’t know where we stand,” Mukhtar said. “The university has not said anything about that and I feel like definitely pressuring the university to say that is definitely one of my goals.”

Getting these answers for international students is a big deal to Mukhtar, due to all of the possibilities and unknowns that come from the questions that have been left unanswered. 

“Are we going to rely on you guys to protect us or are we supposed to fend for ourselves? That is something we deserve to know and I feel like the university owes us that explanation,” Mukhtar said.

One of the qualities Mukhtar said she would bring to SGA as secretary is how approachable and easy to talk to she is.

“I don’t look intimidating, so I’ve never heard anyone say they are scared to talk to me which is just something I very heavily lean on because like, anyone should just walk up to anyone and talk to them,” Mukhtar said. 

Joyce Lukelo

Joyce Lukelo, who serves as a Class Senator and Class of 2029 speaker in the Student Government Association, has announced her candidacy for SGA secretary.

Lukelo is a first-year student with a law major and a minor in Black studies. Additionally, she works in the Student Leadership and Involvement office, is a member of the Suffolk Democrats, Planned Parenthood Generation Action, Fem Generation and part of the SGA public relations and awards committee. 

One of Lukelo’s main goals as secretary is to make people feel as included and invited as possible. 

“A lot of things I’ve heard, even outside of the freshman class, is that people feel really intimidated by SGA, whether it’s just from an outside point of view or that they’ve tried to come to a meeting before and they just don’t feel welcomed,” Lukelo said.  

For Lukelo, part of that stems from her aspiration to move away from the intimidation surrounding SGA and move into a more welcoming environment that feels like family. 

Lukelo wants to make SGA more collaborative and open to the student body, therefore promoting transparency so people can see how fun SGA can be. 

“I really want to make sure people understand what’s going on, what we have control over and sometimes when do like raffles or events, people aren’t really aware of who the winners are or anything and I just want to make sure everyone knows what’s happening,” Lukelo said.    

Lukelo also said she wants to up the social media usage by blasting important information and school-wide updates on the SGA Instagram to promote awareness. 

Additionally, she would like to have more connections within the senate by promoting more office time with the e-board and encouraging senators to come by the office as well. For Lukelo, this would build a strong foundation so that everyone feels included and welcome.

“As secretary, I think I can definitely bring a fresh face and new fresh ideas being a freshman,” said Lukelo. “Sometimes you know, your eyes get tired but coming in, I can see new problems or certain issues that some people might have gotten used to, or become lax with, but I’m not used to these issues and I don’t think that they should be issues.”

Lukelo believes that if the student body doesn’t like something, they have the ability to change it and collectively, students should not settle and ignore the issues that are happening. She also loves to talk and encourages people to talk to her about anything — whether they have concerns about the student body or they just need someone to share something about their day with. 

“I am highly passionate about this role, I’m not going to be leaving in the next year or two, I’m here to stay and I’m here to work,” Lukelo said. 

Mia Toro was nominated to run for SGA secretary before deciding to drop out. Toro did not comment on her decision. 

Treasurer

Gordan Ruan

Gordan Ruan is a sophomore political science major with a concentration in public policy and law. He has been involved with the Student Government Association for two years.

Within the role of treasurer, Ruan said he would like to bring back office hours for people to meet with not only the treasurer, but all e-board members. He explained that since the only time that the financial committee meets is on Tuesdays, it does not give much opportunity for last minute expenses or if someone cannot attend the Tuesday meetings. 

Ruan also hopes to rename the financial committee, changing it from “FinCom” to “The Treasury,” for “inclusivity” reasons. He wants students to acknowledge that the money that the financial committee is using is from the students themselves, and feels “The Treasury” is more reflective of that than “FinCom.”

With the raising of activities fee last year, Ruan wants to review the budget that clubs receive so that it will reflect accordingly the amount that students are paying as part of their tuition. He also wants to focus on the amount specific clubs are receiving as their starting money. 

Currently, active clubs on campus receive a baseline of $1,000 to host events and club meetings. Ruan wants to raise that number based on the amount of activity the specific clubs are getting, depending on the money that the financial committee has.

“Just be mindful of who you elect. Come next week to the forum,” said Ruan. “Come, watch, listen to the candidates and just see who’s more engaged. Don’t think of the popularity, but think of the end goals and the initiatives.” 

Brendan Eddy

Brendan Eddy is a junior marketing major. He has been involved with SGA for three years, during which he was a part of the athletics committee. Currently, Eddy is the vice-chair for the student affairs committee. 

His goal as vice-chair was to “make student life more engaging.” He felt students are either not involved at all or are involved with everything. As a solution, Eddy was at the forefront of establishing a Spring spirit week. Inclement weather, which closed Suffolk University Jan. 26, then impeded the Spring spirit week and a part of what he attributes the low turn out to. 

Eddy said he will try again next year, elected or not, hoping for no snow. 

Eddy mentioned that if he were elected, the position of treasurer would allow him to spread the word about the Spring spirit week more effectively as it will be coming from more of a leader in SGA.

If elected as treasurer, Eddy said he plans to have more open communication with the student body as to where their funds are going. He wants more students to be involved in clubs, so that they’re able to see and benefit from the activities fee. Eddy plans to do this through how funds are allocated, giving smaller and newer clubs on campus more focus and opportunities to thrive. 

Eddy sees his involvement at Suffolk like, “a river that trickles from one on-campus engagement to another,” an analogy he got from Casey Mulcare, the previous director of the office of Student Leadership and Involvement. 

“If I had not gotten involved in the way I had then we would not be having this conversation right now. I probably would have transferred,” said Eddy. “I credit a lot of who I am right now to the involvement opportunities I had and I want to continue to create those experiences for other students.” 

Tighe Hosman

Tighe Hosman, a sophomore finance major and the athletics committee co-chair, has entered the race for treasurer. He is also one of the captains of the track team, a member of Suffolk in the Hub and part of the finance team.

In SGA this year, alongside his co-chair junior Bella Wawrzyniak, Hosman has played a role in organizing the soccer games during family week, putting on Ram Rivalry last month and in April, working with the Suffolk University Football Club regarding their World Cup event. He is also working to find ways to encourage people to show up to sports games and support Suffolk athletes. 

“There’s too many of us who pay too much to go here to not have fun, so I’m thinking if I could better allocate funds to clubs, that would make clubs more fun and more people would join, more people would find community and that would just be my goal, to make people’s time at Suffolk more enjoyable,” said Hosman. 

As treasurer, Hosman wants to shorten the meetings required for a club to receive funding. He believes that there is a more efficient way to use the time for those meetings and that improving this process would be not only more productive but also more efficient. 

“I learned that a lot of people don’t know how to get funds for their club, so just being a lot more transparent with that process,” Hosman said. “I think if I could host a Zoom or information sessions with treasurers of clubs a couple times during the semester, being like this is how you do this, that would be so much more beneficial.”

Alongside these goals, Hosman also brings his knowledge of the wide variety of clubs and people around campus. 

“I am better able to understand the needs of the student body as a whole by knowing individual people within that,” Hosman said.

Hosman said he is very open, loves to make new friends and enjoys talking to people about anything. 

“I might have like an RBF with my headphones on and my hands in my pockets but I would love it if people came up to me and just asked me like, ‘hey, if I elect you as treasurer, how would you help me,’” Hosman said.