The New Face of the Kean University’s Student Government Association

By Wayne Dawes | Published May 3, 2023

As the 2022-2023 academic year comes to an end we welcome a new Student Government Executive Board whose mission is to expand the student government association and strengthen relationships within the campus community. 

The responsibilities and pressures of being in office is something that the newly elected members of the board are looking forward to. Makenzie Kuntz, a rising senior majoring in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, was recently elected as the 2023- 2024 executive board president, a title that comes with great responsibility and big shoes to fill. The position is held currently by outgoing President, Amir Gallashaw. 

“As Executive Board president, I hope to be a familiar face to our students, and work alongside them to enhance their college experiences to the best of my ability,” Kuntz said. 

Kuntz expressed how she has been a part of student government since high school and how the members of the Student Government Association at Kean University influenced her to hop on board.

“I have been involved in student government for many years, and have held the title of class president dating back to my sophomore year of high school,” Kuntz said. “The welcoming and positive energy I sensed from the members of Student Government Association at my first Kean Day influenced my decision to continue being involved in college.”

As SGA executive board president, Kuntz’s goal is to increase the school spirit while also taking care of student concerns, as well as working with different departments within the university so students can have a better experience. Ultimately increasing school spirit at Kean and within the student body and their involvement on campus, while also addressing student concerns.

“I hope to strengthen our relationships with the many departments and student groups on campus, as well as reaching out to neighboring SGAs from other colleges or universities in our area,” Kuntz said. 

Kuntz mentioned that some of her responsibilities as president included working closely with the Vice President of Student Affairs Matthew Caruso, as well as organizing and leading bi-weekly SGA executive board and senate meetings. She will also be consulting with her fellow executive board members and ensuring that they are successful in their various position and roles. 

“Ultimately serving as a liaison between the students and the university administration,” Kuntz said. 

 Sandra Bandeira, a junior majoring in Communication was elected SGA director of public relations. Bandeira served as an SGA S for the junior class for the 2022-2023 academic year and has built close relationships with people within SGA and wanted to continue to grow in student government.

“I’m very passionate about advocating for student needs and interacting with the student body in a way that I can connect with students that I may have never had the opportunity to connect with prior to being a part of SGA,” Bandeira said. “Majoring in Communication has allowed me to learn the ins and outs of public relations.”

Being the director of public relations comes with responsibilities from informing the campus about SGA events, decisions, and policies to handling their social media accounts. 

“Recruiting new members, increasing student involvement within SGA, and participating in more campus events,” Bandeira said. 

As director of public relations, Bandeira’s goal is to continue to expand on SGA’s student engagement by making SGA’S social media pages a more interactive resource.

The newly elected members of SGA look to improve student involvement when it comes to the university and improve any issues that students may express.

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