We sent out a short questionnaire to each of the 2021 USGA Senate candidates for the School of Nursing . Their answers are below.
The Candidates
Faith Brunton
Michayla Jeremiah
Kaleah Nweke
Jade Taylor
Faith Brunton
Senior, Nursing
Other Involvements: National Student Nurses Association
Platform: I am running for the students. I want to be the voice for School of Nursing students. I hope to connect the students to faculty and staff in COVID safe ways. I also want to advocate for student needs in this ever-changing COVID environment.
Why do you want to be in USGA? I was a part of USGA my freshman year in the Freshmen Forum. I loved getting to experience a little bit of Senate and Executive Council during my time on Freshmen Forum. I hope to use that experience to be the best senator for the students.
What is the number issue that USGA faces in the upcoming year? I believe the number one issue that USGA faces this year is advocating for an environment that is safe but facilitates learning in the best way possible for students. As for USGA itself, I believe transparency is a vital quality for representing students.
Why should students vote for you? School of Nursing students should vote for me because I am dedicated to listening to all input given to me. I am passionate about giving students a voice so their needs can be met. I want to help make time spent at UAB as meaningful as possible.
Michayla Jeremiah
Sophomore, Pre-Nursing
Other Involvements: Blazer Spirit Council Event Coordinator
Platform: As a senator representing the School of Nursing, I want to continue and improve initiatives put in place from the previous year, as well as collaborate with future, fellow SON senators to create new ideas to form future initiatives. For new initiatives, my overall goal is for these ideas to bring the nursing school community even closer together. Through past initiatives, we have worked towards bridging the gap between pre-nursing and nursing school students, and I plan to continue this progress. In doing so, I plan to continue the SON podcast initiative, “The Anatomy of Nursing School,” successfully started by the past group of nursing senators. I also plan to create events, whether virtual or in-person, that create a sense of belonging within the UAB nursing community. One idea I have for this, is to have a Q&A session with the Dean for the School of Nursing and pre-nursing/nursing school students. A second Q&A could be held with students from both pre-nursing and nursing school groups to ask questions and get insight into nursing school aspects. These sessions would be times to ask questions, give suggestions and get answers on anything nursing school related. These events could be virtual or in-person, as USGA abides by UAB COVID-19 safety policies/guidelines.
My platform stands for a closer community for pre-nursing as well as nursing school students through collaborative initiatives between these two groups as well as with UAB SON faculty/staff.
Why do you want to be in USGA? Put simply, I want to be a part of USGA because this organization is set up to listen to student concerns and take the necessary action(s) to make change happen. That said, it takes the right students to make up USGA for this set up to work successfully, and I believe I have skills that make a productive senator: adaptability, work ethic, and effective communication/collaboration skills.
What is the number issue that USGA faces in the upcoming year? I believe the number one issue that USGA faces in the upcoming year is making the set up of the organization on paper come to fruition in acts of listening and service to the student body, as this organization is outlined to accomplish.
Why should students vote for you? I think students should vote for me because I will first listen to the student body before taking action(s) on stances of the majority and minority.
Kaleah Nweke
Sophomore, Pre-Nursing
Platform: As a current UAB USGA senator and Head of the SON committee, I practice the responsibilities this position requires daily. As a leader and communicator, I offer guaranteed thorough communication, demand inclusivity, and my willingness to learn and grow creates room for both patience and understanding. These skills are vital to have especially when focusing on our current initiative, The Anatomy of Nursing School podcast. In hopes of COVID vaccinations being widely dispersed, potentially enabling students to return to campus, I plan to initiate developing an actual podcast room that allows both the hosts and guests to more comfortably discuss issues on campus, continuing to be the voice for the student body. This will allow better interaction between guests and hosts, overall advancing the quality of the content students will watch and/or listen.
My ultimate goal is for our podcast to be an advantage for Pre-Nursing and Nursing students nationwide. It’s vital these subjects reach bigger audiences, as this information is more than significant for the direction and future of Pre-Nursing and Nursing students. It’s my desire to discuss topics concerning student preparation. We’ll teach students how to adopt effective study habits and share networking advice. These are subjects that will be stressed and discussed. It’s also important we spread awareness about racial and gender disparities within the healthcare system. Many women of color don’t feel safe giving birth in hospitals due to inadequate healthcare and prejudices. Changes such as these start with conversations and should be heard from various perspectives that need to be viewed while also bringing awareness to these situations.
Why do you want to be in USGA? As a current USGA senator and head of the SON, I know and practice the responsibilities this position requires. As a leader and communicator, I offer guaranteed thorough communication, demand inclusivity, and I’m willing to be assertive and offer creativity to my team. These skills are vital to have especially when focusing on our current initiative, The Anatomy of Nursing School Podcast. I want to initiate developing an actual podcast room that allows both the hosts and guests to more comfortably discuss issues on campus continuing to be the voice for the student body. This will allow better interaction between guests and hosts overall advancing the quality of the content students will watch and/or listen.
What is the number issue that USGA faces in the upcoming year? One of USGA’s biggest focuses for next school year should be thoroughly communicating the student body’s concerns to UAB faculty. The UA school system has announced the re-opening of campus. With this comes student concerns such as tuition rates, mask mandates, student wellness, preferred learning styles, etc. We need to release Call to Action Statements thoroughly expressing the student’s priorities, faults UAB may have and potential solutions for resolving them. It’s important for the student body to know we’re willing to go above and beyond for their wellbeing.
Why should students vote for you? I currently serve as the Head of the School of Nursing (SON) Committee in the Senate and I am seeking re-election to serve as a SON Senator in UAB’s USGA for the 2021-2022 school year. One of my proudest achievements from this year is co-hosting The Anatomy of Nursing School podcast. The creation of this podcast aimed to bridge the gap between pre-nursing and nursing students at UAB. Some topics of discussion include managing stress, self-care hobbies, effective planning, reapplying to SON, successful student characteristics, on campus resources, and clinical prep. This fall, I plan to become a nursing student in SON, which will further enable me to relate to on-campus issues, advocate for students, and continue the podcast from a new perspective. I will continue to promote student involvement by featuring students on The Anatomy of Nursing School podcast and discussing topics that are beneficial for the students. If re-elected, I will also dedicate myself to finding more creative ways to connect pre-nursing and nursing students and aiding the current curriculum process.
Jade Taylor
Freshman, Pre-Nursing
Other Involvements: Hall Council President, Delight Ministries, Freshman Forum, Young Life
Platform: My platform stands for being the voice and representation that students need. I want students to know that I am here for them and want to help them in anyway possible. I plan to listen and find resolutions for the issues that students face. As a Pre-Nursing major and through my experiences interning at hospitals, I have had a small glimpses of the medical field and the stress that comes along with it. College has it’s own stress on top of that I want students to be honest and open to me so I can do what I’m capable of to help them.
Why do you want to be in USGA? I choose to join USGA because I wanted to be involved with the student body and take part of the actions that affect the student body. It is more important now than ever to use your voice and stand up for what is right. USGA gives me the platform to express my ideas and be the voice for the other students that feel misrepresented. I want to make up for the racial misrepresentation that Black and Hispanic students often face in USGA.
What is the number issue that USGA faces in the upcoming year? This year as a freshman in college and joining freshman forum I have seen and experienced issues first hand. Transparency is one of the many things that USGA lacks and can improve on so that the student body can feel included and can know that their voices are being heard. Being open and honest and not sugar coating information will connect USGA and the student body in the upcoming years. I want to address the issues that students face and be open and honest about what I can do to help make the UAB student body more cohesive.
Why should students vote for you? Students should vote for me because I am passionate about the student body. For too long, I feel like students voices are not being heard and listened to and are often being pushed to the side. No matter the age, race, gender identity or sexual orientation I feel like everyone’s voice should be heard. I have been involved in a variety of organizations that have allowed me to improve as a student and a leader and I want to bring those skills I have learned to USGA.
