Rowan University’s Student Government Association (SGA) is due for changes next fall, and among them is the introduction of the new class president. Stepping in to fill the big role is the self-proclaimed ‘Hostess with the Mostest’ Brianna Reagan.
The new president is a face that is hard to miss on campus since she is an extremely involved part of the student body. Reagan is a junior journalism major with a minor in Africana studies and hails from Camden, New Jersey. This school year she worked for the SGA as the public relations and special events chair, ultimately deciding to take a step up in the ranks in her final year.
“I did not know I wanted to apply [to be SGA president] right away, but I feel like this is something that has been on my heart since high school. Since I’m a 2020 high school graduate, I didn’t get to finish high school as most did. I left behind the many things I was involved in through my time in high school and one of those things was the student government,” Reagan said.
Reagan will follow sitting president Paige Bathurst as the next leading woman in line. With her victorious campaign, Brianna stands as the second Black woman in Rowan history to ever be SGA president.
After spending a year in the student government, Brianna felt poised for the role of president as she learned the order of events and the sometimes long process that goes into decision-making for the student body. Coming to an understanding of the system led her to make an ambitious leap to launch her presidential campaign this spring.
“Being a leader and watching her, I’ve learned that nothing is impossible. I’ve seen Bri speak every single one of her goals into existence from the first day of school until now. Everything she’s said she’s going to do, she’s done, and done it all gracefully. It’s encouraging to just have someone like that in my circle,” said Simone Brooks, sitting vice president of the Rowan NAACP.
Enthused about the position, Reagan is embracing the complexities of navigating the job of being the new face of the student body, taking extra time to study the terms, bylaws and the constitution to ensure that she performs in the role.
“My goal is to help people understand the process of the SGA’s plans and how they will work. If students are included and feel included in the process, suggestions will be offered and they’ll be kept in the loop of things, keeping people interested in what’s happening with the student body around campus,” Reagan said. “I’d like to see us seek help and assistance from the student body by reaching out to different communities on campus like BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and Neurodiversity among others. Reaching out to these groups directly and seeing how we can help them will help us build a strong Rowan family.”
Reagan is on a mission to achieve a grand feeling of unity within the student body during her year in the presidential seat, often saying she is a representative for all and a human above any position at the same.
“I am here for everyone. I am a Rowan student. I go here. I am like everyone else, and I understand the issues we all face. I am empathetic towards every student,” Reagan said.
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