SGA Elections Are Coming to an End After Long Vacancies

Helena Likus ‘26 

News Editor

On May 3, 2025, students received an announcement from former Student Government Association (SGA) President Ava Caudle ’25 about newly elected members, all of whom ran uncontested. Manuela Rodés ’26 had been elected to serve as new student body president for the 2025-2026 academic year. 

It was announced that Nicole Balbuena Gutierrez ’26 will be the senior class president. “Looking back on the elections, I was genuinely inspired by the level of engagement from our class and the support shown for one another,” Balbuena Gutierrez said. “It reminded me that while we are a class of about 650 students, we all share the same excitement for making our last year memorable.”

Maddi Petrow ’28 was elected to serve as the vice president of finance. In an email to the Tripod, Petrow shared that, “My journey began as a member of the Budget Committee, then as finance secretary, and this past semester I was entrusted with this role, running uncontested. While uncontested, this in no way lessens my appreciation for the opportunity to step into a larger leadership role within SGA.” 

Ini-Oluwa Adegbayi ’28 won the position of sophomore class president, her second year as the president of the Class of 2028. Adegbayi told the Tripod that, “Being class president two years in a row is a great honor and a great privilege for sure.” 

On Sept. 11, 2025, after the fall elections, two more members of the executive board were announced. Nikolas DeAngelo ’26 was elected to serve as the executive vice president for the second year in a row and Ada Sun ‘26 to be the vice president of communications. Sun stated in the comment for the Tripod that, “Although my position was uncontested, I am truly honored to be stepping into the role of VP of communications. Even without the formality of a contested race, I think this year’s elections reflect how students are continuing to engage with SGA and find ways to serve the community.”

The elections for the vice president of the Multicultural Affairs Council began on Sept. 12, 2025, with Sabin Limbu ’27 emerging victorious. Limbu told the Tripod that, “I thought I would not be competing with anyone, so I didn’t have an official campaign.” Limbu added, “​​But I was also very much engaged on campus, like in cultural organizations, so I had faith in all of them that they are going to vote for me, which they did.” 

Heaven Holloway ’29 won the election for the Class of 2029 president. In a written statement, Holloway shared, “When I found out that I had won the election, I was genuinely surprised. This was my very first time running in a student government election, and I honestly didn’t expect that my small efforts knocking on doors, introducing myself and connecting with classmates would bring me to this moment. I am extremely grateful to everyone who believed in me and gave me their support; it truly means the world to me.” 

On Sept. 16, 2025, SGA announced that there were multiple positions that remained unfilled. The most notable vacancy was the position of the Class of 2027 president, but also multiple open seats for senators. In regards to this issue, Rodés said that, “My first goal was getting a full senate, because we really started with very few people,” in relation to what her ambitions are as the SGA president. Adegbayi also recognized this problem, but affirmed Rodés’ efforts to solve it, saying, “I know we started out a little rocky because we had a ton of open spots, including the Class of 2028. We needed senators but we had a special election SGA put together by the president, Manuela. She saw that there is a gap, and she was willing to do something about it.” The special elections for those open positions started on Sept. 19, 2025 and the election for the Class of 2027 president will continue until the end of this week. 

In terms of goals for this academic year, there were multiple shared sentiments that emerged in conversations with the Tripod. One of them was the emphasis on organizing events. Rodés said, “One of the newer goals now that we are getting started on is to start bringing speakers on campus through SGA, because we do not have a long history of doing that, and I think that as the one organization that really represents the whole student body, it is important that we do that.” 

Limbu similarly positioned organizing events as a priority, saying, “I want to make sure that different cultural organizations are coming together, they are integrating. It is not just like the POC and non-POC, but even within the POC’s different cultures, there is a kind of segregation, which I hope to resolve by making sure that we have a lot of heritage months for different cultural organizations.” Adegbayi added, “I am really looking forward to just having an amazing year filled with more consistent events like open tabs. Maybe like a karaoke night, a movie night, a hot chocolate night, maybe an opportunity to win merch. I think that always attracts people.” 

Holloway emphasized the importance of supporting students: “As class president, my main goal is to ensure that every freshman feels seen, supported and cared for. Whether that means advocating for dietary needs, organizing mixers, providing access to personal care or simply being a shoulder to lean on.” Holloway added, “This is a big transition for all of us, and I believe we can make it a positive one if we support one another.” 

Moreover, an intention to create lasting legacy for the classes to come was mentioned in an email to the Tripod. Balbuena Gutierrez said that, “Strengthening traditions, promoting inclusion and setting an example of unity will, I hope, create a foundation that future classes can build upon to make their own years just as special.”

Improving communication between the SGA and the student body was brought up as an important goal for this academic year. “I’m especially excited to focus on strengthening communication between SGA and the student body,” Sun said in her statement to the Tripod. She continued, “I feel like too often, students aren’t fully aware of the events and opportunities happening on campus, and I believe clearer communication can not only increase participation but also foster stronger connections and a greater sense of community. My main goals are to make SGA’s work more transparent and accessible, highlight the voices of students and find creative ways to share updates so people feel informed and connected.” DeAngelo similarly stressed the importance of effective communication with the student body, saying that, “Looking ahead, my goals include strengthening communication between SGA and students, supporting ongoing initiatives around student well-being and campus resources, and ensuring that SGA remains accessible and responsive to all voices.” 

The aim to be more transparent was mentioned as well in terms of finances. Petrow stated in the comment for the Tripod that, “One of my primary goals is to strengthen transparency between students and the Student Activities Fee (SAF), which each student contributes to every semester at the rate of $215. I believe students should clearly see how their contributions support campus organizations, initiatives and events.” However, there is not only a goal of improving the communication between SGA and the student body, but also to Trinity’s administration. Rodés stated that, “I know that this is spoken about every year, but the line of communication between administration and students needs to be opened up a little bit more.” The Tripod’s article on 2024-2025 SGA elections reported that multiple former members of SGA were also looking to improve their communication with the college administration. However, Rodés asserted, “I think that that line will be opening up, because I already met with President Lugo and he has already opened up a direct line of communication, which has not always been like that. So I’m really excited for that, because I think that with his administration, we will be able to do a lot of things together.”