The votes are in for the Student Organization, the full-time undergraduate student government, and the Graduate and Part-Time Student Council (GPSC) presidents!

History has been made at Kean University at the conclusion of the election that just took place across campus. Emily Cubilete is officially the first female to ever be elected President of the Student Organization.

Emily Cubilete, the first female elected student organization president
Photo courtesy of Student Government 

Emily Cubilete is a junior at Kean University, majoring in public administration with minors political science and women’s studies.

“I am so very thankful for every vote that was made towards me,” says Cubilete humbly.

With juggling several responsibilities on campus, Cubilete is extremely proud of this accomplishment. She is a Lead Student Ambassador with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Vice President of Omega Sigma Psi Sorority, a member of Kean University’s Leadership Institute, as well as currently holding an internship at the United Nations (UN).

Cubilete has set many goals for herself in her upcoming time as President. She plans to renovate the Commuter Lounge to make it more hospitable for the exhausted commuter students who just need a break between classes. She also would like to extend the already accomplished work of Student Organization and get more companies and restaurants to accept Cougar Dollars, to ensure that Kean University students are getting the best benefit of the meal plan for which they are paying.

However, Cubilete has her sights set on a much more daunting task.

“My main focus is to bring pride back to Kean University,” she said. “Many incoming students are so excited to arrive to Kean and I want to make sure they get the best experience out of it as possible, from homecoming concerts to possibly having a huge carnival on campus that will bring out the cougar in every Kean student.”

Cubilete certainly seems to have her work cut out for her, but it seems that she fully intends to tackle her agenda fiercely and quickly. After all, she’s already made history, so she’s already proven she can do anything.

In addition to the history-making election of Cubilete, another focused mind and big spirit has been given a chance to make a difference in another department on Kean University’s campus.

Lawrence J. Owens has been elected President of the GPSC by a notable victory. Owens is a current graduate student in the public administration program at Kean University. He was formerly the GPSC Treasurer and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Kean University.

Lawrence J. Owens, the newly elected President of the Graduate and Part-Time Student Council 
Photo courtesy of Student Government 

“[Winning is a] great accomplishment that I would have never envisioned when I started graduate school,” said Owens.

Owens is extremely excited to have such a notable platform on which he can represent the concerns of the graduate and part-time undergraduate community of Kean University. He has manufactured an impressive agenda for his upcoming term as the GPSC President.

[I plan to] continue to create programs and events of inclusion, diversity, and togetherness on campus. We at GPSC and Student Government as a whole have always taken those three principles and tried to create programs that promote all three,” said Owens.

Owens plans to take the work of Chazz Fellenz, the current GPSC President, and build on what he has already accomplished. He hopes to build upon the strides already made around campus, such as the televisions that are now on the trolleys and the newly established Commuter Resource Center (CRC) in Hutchinson Hall. Owens wants to keep the momentum of getting graduate and part-time undergraduate issues legitimately addressed.

Lastly, Owen plans to leave the GPSC in better shape for when he leaves his presidency and a new successor will take the reins. He hopes to leave the office in better condition for the future of the GPSC as a whole.

Asa Duggar, junior double majoring in media communications and marketing, has been elected as the Student Organization Executive Vice President. As a member of the Student Organization for the past two years, Duggar is more than qualified for her position, and will be a terrific second-in-command to Cubilete.

“I will ensure my fellow Kean peers that as Vice President of Student [Organization], I will ensure the conflicts within the student body will no longer be shadowed, but brought to light. Together, we will inherit a World Class education, in and outside of the classroom,” said Duggar.

It seems that Kean University’s student body has been placed in more-than-capable hands, and change for the better is sure to come. Congratulations to the newly elected officials of the Student Organization and the GPSC, the future is bright and the horizons are vast.