Executive Ticket #3

Ryan Sogness & Isaac Fischer

"Help Yourself Help Others"

Ryan & Isaac's photos were captured by:

Andrew Harker / The Avion

Meet Your President Candidate Ryan!

Ryan Sogness

Junior, BS Aerospace Engineering

"Hi, my name is Ryan, and I am from Toms River, New Jersey. I am a part of AFROTC and the current Delta Chi Treasurer. My end goal is to become a Space Operator and partake in the next big thing! I have always dreamed about reaching for things that I cannot reach. Ever since my mom passed away at the age of eight years old, I always wondered about the unknown. By joining the Space Force, I hope I can find answers that can lead to a massive discovery. In general, I am a social butterfly; I really enjoy interacting with people around me. It has always been a hobby of mine to make people laugh and smile. By being on the Student Treasury, I feel like I learned a lot. You really get an insight into how passionate people are about their goals. I really want to help people by sacrificing my time to be able to get more involved with the student body!"

  • What is your platform for this campaign? How does it stand out?

    "My platform is key transparency. I really want to run on the idea that I am there for the students, no matter what. I will not have a plan for change, and I will not make steps to do change or anything like that. I have a goal and a dream to make others realize that the SGA is actually hearing voices and making attempts to push out things that can benefit and improve the student body.

    My slogan is "Help Yourself Help Others", and that is something I use in my everyday life. My family has always taught me to look out for others before you look out for yourself. I have always had the initiative to sacrifice time and sacrifice things I like to do to make sure that the people around me are happy. You cannot make everyone happy, but you can make people think you tried. I plan on sacrificing time to go meet with RSOs, and I plan on sacrificing sleep to be able to listen to students and talk to them on a one-to-one level.

    I want students to know my decisions and why I am making them. My team will focus heavily on improving ourselves daily to ensure we are improving the people around us. My father has always taught me that one good deed a day can lead to great success. I fully believe being transparent and getting to know others' why's and goals can help me make decisions for the student body."

  • What makes you the most qualified candidate for this position?

    "I feel like I am most qualified because I know how to branch off and understand all sides of the book. Being in Student Treasury gives you insight into why students want things for their RSO and why they think it will benefit them. You really get to hear students' voices in the Student Treasury office. When students come in, you really get to know the why of each student and why they are so passionate about the RSO they are a part of.

    The Student Treasury gave me the experience of making tough decisions, but I made sure that anyone that came in and asked a question, knew the process and why that decision was made. When it comes to AFROTC, I work under the operations side of things. I help make orders for every training day. These orders affect what cadets will be doing during each training day. By being the Operations Exec, I sacrificed time to meet with each squadron to get feedback for the orders that are being produced. I took that feedback and implemented it in the next set of orders. Being a treasurer also in Delta Chi gave me some leadership qualities. I had to fight for my chapter regarding raising the rent of our house and just bringing concerns to our advisor committee. I made sure that the brothers' voices are heard and asked for help when I need it.

    I feel like countless times I've been thrown into tough decision-making, but I made sure I didn't make them alone. I made sure I improved myself by getting more insight into problems and then helped others by bringing that bridge and bringing up my concerns."

  • As President, you would be a connection between students and the Administration. What do you do to ensure the voices of students are heard?

    "For next semester, I made my class schedule to finish at 12 p.m. I decided to fill my schedule with 8 a.m. and sacrifice sleep to be able to add more time for the student body. I want to talk to students, not just implement decisions that can impact their lives. I want to go to RSO meetings, and I want to be able to take notes of changes they would want to see. I want to be able to visit RSOs, and they know who I am and what I am doing for them. I can ensure that students will have a say in something if it's through meeting me in person or through a form I decide to publish. Going to RSO meetings will be easier said than done, but I can promise I can figure something out. Changes are hard to make, and I am going into this understanding that. I want to be able to utilize skills that I have to be able to make administration understand what the students want, and what things can be done. Asking for something over email isn't productive. I can make videos for administration so they can see the personality of each student. I can meet with administration to attempt to bring a course plan with flaws and benefits to each idea that is being proposed. I want to bring the personality and the why you are here out of students, so it proposes more of an impact."

  • How will you improve the SGA to better serve the student body?

    "The SGA is already going through many changes, such as the changes that are being proposed in the Treasury Office as we speak. The SGA isn't perfect, but the SGA doesn't need a full course change. I will improve the SGA by making others understand that the SGA does care about them. I want students to think that the SGA is thinking about us rather than the SGA hates us. I also want to implement some way to make sure that the entire SGA connects as a whole. I don't want to just meet together during general sessions. I want to know people in The Avion, I want to know people in the Senate, and I want to know people in WIKD or Touch-N-Go. I want to make the SGA bond, so we can all bounce ideas off of each other. By bouncing ideas, we can come up with better courses of action. Build trust and respect for one another with one common goal, and that goal is the student body."

  • What does the SGA mean to you?

    "When I joined the SGA, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I did not realize how much of an impact the SGA had when it came to the student body. The SGA to me is a gateway to new opportunities. The SGA I feel like helped me when it came to connecting and understanding different perspectives. Most will say that the SGA can be looked at as a giant family, but I want to look at it as a gateway. A tool that students can use to be able to feel comfortable to approach. I want students to be able to rely on us and not be afraid to come to us with any concerns. We are friends and comrades, and I respect and trust the individuals around me. The SGA is really teaching me on how to make decisions and how to gain the trust of others. In summary, the SGA is a gateway for me to connect with others. Bounce ideas and, in total, help others. The SGA is a tool to help others, and that is something I truly adore."

Meet Your Vice President Candidate Isaac!

Isaac Fischer

Junior, BS Aerospace Engineering

"Hello, I am Isaac Fischer from Naples, FL. I am a junior studying Aerospace Engineering. I am running for the position of Vice President because I believe I am equipped to manage and lead the officers of the ERAU SGA. I believe this because I have the experience to lead an organization of this size and importance. I am a cadet in the AFROTC detachment and an executive officer of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity on campus. I have also been a member of the ERAU Hockey Team since my freshman year. I have gained valuable leadership experience and traits from these positions that I am excited to share as SGA Vice President. I believe the SGA should be transparent and work to the highest level of integrity. I am excited to assume the responsibility of representing the student body, and should I be elected, I will work hard to achieve all the goals of the student body."

  • What makes your Executive Ticket stand out?

    "I think that our Executive Ticket stands out because we represent a wide range of students on campus. We represent the students of the College of Engineering, ROTC, Greek Life, Club Athletics, Academic Clubs, and other groups across the student body. Because of the unique span we have across the student body, our Executive Ticket will be able to make the best decisions for the good of the whole student body. Our Executive Ticket will be able to make decisions based on the good of the student body because we can relate and think like the wide variety of students we represent.

    Along with the span of influence, our Executive Ticket is balanced in thought. Ryan and I hold different viewpoints, outlooks, and leadership philosophies, allowing us to work most efficiently as a team. I am excited to showcase this teamwork as your President and Vice President Team."

  • What makes you the most qualified candidate for this position?

    "I am the most qualified for the position of Vice President because I have the training and experience that is so vital to doing a job that exceeds expectations. I understand what it takes to manage people and how to motivate people to work most effectively. I have been taught, trained, and evaluated on managing people. All my work as an officer for the many organizations I am involved in has prepared me to be the best person for this job. I have learned how to manage in a way that puts people first while also producing the highest quality of work. I believe that standards are meant to hold people accountable, and if they are not adhered to, they quickly become suggestions. As an officer in the military, I will be tasked with managing large groups of people and in charge of millions of dollars of equipment. If I am going to be trusted to manage in that capacity, I can most definitely be trusted to produce quality work in the ERAU SGA."

  • As the Vice President, you have a supportive role to the President as well as being the head of the Senate. How will you use your position to ensure the needs of students are met?

    "As Vice President, I will utilize my position to hold Ryan accountable to the standards he sets and make sure that the needs of the student body are met. I can do this by consistently checking in with Ryan and ensuring his vision is focused on what the Student Body wants and needs. I plan on frequently meeting and polling the student body to gauge the effectiveness of our work. I think that the best way to be an effective team player is to give constant feedback to those working alongside me. I will be able to give Ryan the vital support and advice he needs to do his best while I advise the SGA senators to achieve the goals of the Student Body. As Ryan's Vice President, I know that I can support him best by updating him on the feedback we received from the Student Body. As the head of the Senate, I will continue to work toward producing the most effective workplace for Senators to create the change students want and not allow anyone to settle for mediocre work."

  • How would you use the position of Vice President to create a positive and productive environment in the SGA and around campus?

    "I enjoy working hard to produce quality work, and I think that enjoying hard work is the only way to achieve that high-quality work. I believe negativity leads to poor performance and will effectively hinder the SGA in representing the Student Body. As Vice President, I want to foster an environment that makes working fun and rewarding. I want students to be able to count on the SGA to create an environment on campus that fosters hard work. In the SLS, the Student Union, and the rest of campus, I want students to be able to focus on their primary priority of studying and completing their work. As Vice President, I will hold the people in my influence accountable and ensure they are never settling for unproductive work. I will ensure that I support the Senate in ensuring that ERAU continues to be one of the most productive places in the world of academia and fosters more of the fantastic work that sets it above the competition."

  • What does the SGA mean to you?

    "The SGA represents an opportunity to leave ERAU better than how I found it. It is an inspirational springboard to represent the Student Body and give them a voice in how the school is run. I have always wanted to be a part of the SGA, and this opportunity has finally allowed me to achieve that goal. Whenever I take on a responsibility, I seek to leave it better than how I found it. SGA will be no different, and I am excited to be a part of the exceptional work that has earned the SGA a great reputation on campus. I want to make my predecessors proud, and I am excited to utilize their wisdom to continue the work they started. The SGA has provided many opportunities for me at ERAU, and I am excited to be a part of that for others. The SGA is a challenge that I am excited to take on. I know I will be able to represent the Student Body and make the change they seek."