Student Senate Leaders Set New Goals for the Upcoming School Year

August 26, 2023

The college’s Student Senate works hard to promote new ideas, organize events and activities, advocate for student needs and increase engagement, and incoming leaders Ameera Aftab, Lukas Donaghue, Sean Sampler and Zaid Shehzad, have ambitious plans for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.

One of the Senate leaders’ first priorities is to expand awareness of campus resources, events and activities. They hope to promote the college’s many helpful resources, such as the Center for Academic Engagement, which provides academic coaching; the Center for Access and Assistive Technology, which assists qualified students with disabilities; and the Learning Assistance Center, which offers group or one-on-one tutoring. Taking advantage of these and all other academic support centers can be tremendously helpful and beneficial for students, they said.

The Senate leaders emphasized that students have many opportunities to participate in clubs and events on campus as well. In an effort to promote those opportunities and keep the campus community updated, they plan to talk one-on-one with students and faculty, collaborate on outreach with The Hudsonian and be more active on the college’s social media pages.

They also expressed plans to host more community and sporting events, and allow students to choose or suggest other activities by holding a voting process.

“Students may not realize that they pay an activities fee each year. We want them to utilize it, so it’s our job to offer events that everyone will want to participate in,” Ameera explained. They also plan to reach online students by inviting them to campus for these opportunities and offering more fully-online activities, such as trivia.

All of the Senate leaders make it clear that, along with all other plans, they have a universal goal of representing and advocating for their peers. “We hope to be a voice for all students of the campus community,” Lukas expressed. “Any decision we make is on behalf of the students. We want to continue the work we’ve been doing and continue to help as much as we can.”

Ameera, Lukas, Sean and Zaid are excited for the upcoming semester to begin and look forward to serving Hudson Valley on behalf of the students. Learn more about the Student Senate leadership below.

Ameera Aftab, Student Senate president, is a Liberal Arts and Sciences: Communications (Media) student with plans to graduate in May. Her hard work led her to be elected as student trustee on the college’s Board of Trustees for this academic year, and she is also completing an internship at a local marketing firm. As for Student Senate, Ameera was eager to run for a lead role.

“I am very passionate about student government and advocacy,” she said. “I love advocating for students and all higher education, and I think student input is so important.”

Lukas Donaghue, Student Senate treasurer, is a senior majoring in Liberal Arts and Sciences with a concentration in economics, minor in sustainability and interest in investing. As someone who admittedly looks for any opportunity to have an impact, Lukas was especially motivated to run for Student Senate.

“How can we make small steps every day to help students on campus?” he asked. Through his dedication, Lukas hopes to have a positive influence on the Student Senate’s objectives and achieve his own personal goals to graduate and find a good career.

Business Administration student, Sean Sampler, is vice president of the Student Senate. Outside of school, he loves to play guitar, tennis and video games. As a goal-oriented leader, Sean hopes to see success through his own academics and in the efforts of the Student Senate.

“I didn’t expect to be doing this,” Sean said. “Hudson Valley just has so many opportunities, helpful resources and personal connections which have empowered me to become a part of the Student Senate.” It’s all about “doing for others what they have done for you” and “making a difference wherever you go,” he explained.

Zaid Shehzad, Student Senate secretary, is a Computer Information Systems student. His positive enthusiasm influenced him to participate in a local soup kitchen project and run student clubs, including the Muslim Student Association (MSA). Looking ahead at the school year, he hopes to get good grades, graduate, and find ways to be more involved in the community.

Through the Senate’s initiatives, Zaid hopes to continue to make the campus a better place. “I thought it would be really fun,” he said when discussing his inspiration to run for Student Senate.