Dylan Kowlessar / The Avion
Junior, BS Homeland Security and Intelligence
"Hello all! I am Alexandria Fife, and I am a junior pursuing a degree in Homeland Security and Intelligence with minors in Language Studies and Russian. Outside of my academics, I am a member of the Women’s Rowing Team, Alpha Xi Delta Sorority, and a Student Employee at Ernie Central. Currently, I am in charge of hospitality and food for the men's and Women's rowing teams. In my sorority, I have previously held the position of Informal Recruitment Director, leading and working with others to bring on new members. Through my involvement on campus, I have developed valuable skills in time management, communication, and teamwork. I am dedicated to voicing the priorities and interests of my peers while working towards constructive changes in the COAS. Engaging my fellow students and creating ways to boost their college experience is important to me. As your COAS senator, I would advocate for the student body by reaching out to collect meaningful feedback to enrich the student experience and bring in opportunities for the various departments to grow."
What makes you a qualified candidate for this position?
"Through my involvement on campus, I have developed valuable skills in time management, communication, and teamwork. For the past nine years, rowing has been a huge part of my life. That has given me a chance to practice balancing full-time sports and academics and stay involved as an active community member. In college, I continued to push myself to get more involved. During my sophomore year, I joined the Alpha Xi Delta sorority and took on a leadership role, giving me the opportunity to grow my organization, planning, and team management skills. On campus, I also work as a student employee. In this position, I work with individuals facing finances, financial aid, records, or registration issues. This job requires patience, communication, and solid teamwork skills. Through both my experience here at the university and recently spending a summer working at Northrop Grumman as a Security Analyst, I bring a campus-based and real-world knowledge base."
What is the purpose of the SGA Student Senate?
"The purpose of the SGA senate is to help promote the students in each of the colleges. The senators have the opportunity to work with each of the departments in their respective colleges and various RSO's. The student senate consists of individuals who work towards creating meaningful resources for their colleges. It is important for an SGA senator to voice the concerns and needs of their peers regardless of their background or experience. Their insight to the student body and communication with staff makes for successful and cohesive collaboration. The SGA senators assist in establishing a connection between the student body and the SGA through outreach. Each student holding a senate position is able to be a familiar face who is there for the members of their college and will actively engage. By acting as a liaison between the SGA, general student body, and staff in each of the departments, the student senators play a big role in helping maximize opportunities and support for everyone."
How do you plan to elevate and communicate issues that your constituents are concerned about to the Senate?
"I plan to outreach and engage the student body to bring in each person's interests and needs. Every student has a valuable insight and is chasing after their careers here at Embry-Riddle. It is extremely important to ensure everyone is represented in our college. Through meetings I will be able to effectively communicate any concerns and also brainstorm solutions ahead of time. I have found by using anonymous forums it is easy to receive constructive feedback in order to improve the best. By analyzing the data collected either through a forum or by actively engaging my peers, I will be able to communicate issues effectively. I will take advantage of a variety of communication platforms to reach different audiences in my constituency. I think it is also important to keep my constituents informed about the progress of my advocacy efforts, and I will continuously follow up and follow through with my commitments. "
How will you improve the ERAU experience for your constituents?
"I will work to improve the ERAU experience for my constituents by advocating for the student body. Outreach to collect meaningful feedback to enrich the student experience and bring in opportunities for the various departments to grow is important to me. Some of the ways I can improve the ERAU experience is by organizing better career fair opportunities for COAS students. Going to a university primarily targeting careers for engineers and pilots, I think it is important to advocate for the smaller departments. I am willing to reach out and communicate on behalf of my peers, to bring in career recruits specifically for the programs in the COAS. I also plan to continue on improving community engagement by ensuring the student body is aware of the events our COAS puts on. Involving the students and creating the opportunity for them to be heard, included, and engaged will foster a stronger environment for success."
