Earlier this school year, you may have received an email or seen an Instagram post about voting for this year’s SGA representatives. Friends and peers’ faces plastered all over your phone screen, campaigns being run, promises being made. You may have voted; you may have not. But even after all of this excitement, you might still be wondering: What is the SGA? What can they do for me? In this article, we dive deep into the SGA to help students learn more about who’s representing them and what they do.
What is the SGA?
The Student Government Association, known familiarly as the SGA, is Southwestern’s equivalent to student council. The SGA serves as the most direct and official connection between Southwestern students and the school’s administration. When the student body has an opinion, it is the SGA’s job to bring it to the attention of the administration. SGA consists of executive members and elected representatives. Executive members are students who have served at least one full year and were elected to their specific position by the other members of the SGA. Every grade level has elected representatives, and any student in good academic standing may run for a position. Therefore, every member cares deeply about bettering Southwestern for every student. It is the SGA’s job to create an open dialogue with fellow students and make sure that every student has a voice at the table. General assembly meetings take place every other week (September 23rd, October 7th, October 21st…) in Olin 110 and are open to the entire student body.
A Statement from the (SGA) President
Andrea “Andie” Abell (‘26), the SGA President for the 2025-2026 school year, stated this about her position: “Being President of SGA is my most important responsibility and undertaking. To me, for my peers to place their trust in me with this role is a huge honor, and I want to honor their trust by providing strong representation and advocacy for all students in different spaces.”
When asked about her goals for the year, Abell responded, “My overall goals for my term are centered on connection and collaboration. I want to bring more students together and help form deeper bonds not only on campus but in our Georgetown community. Student Government is essential to making sure students feel represented to our administration, so I want to encourage any and all students to engage with our organization at any chance they can.”
Governance Committees: A faculty connection
Governance committees are one of the most crucial SGA responsibilities being faculty-run meetings that address different areas of the Southwestern experience, such as the FYS/AES committee or the Safety committee. Each meeting requires at least one SGA member to be present. Members also take notes and are required to report what they discussed or learned with the rest of the committee. This allows the SGA to deepen their knowledge on schoolwide issues and areas where the student body may deserve improvement. Therefore, the attendance of these committees allows the SGA to brainstorm new resolution ideas.
Resolutions: What are they and how are they passed?
Resolutions serve as the official communication between the student body and Southwestern’s administration. They are official documents that state what SU students want and why they want it. When an SGA member notices or learns about an issue, a change, or a request that the student body wants to see on campus, they draft a resolution to present in front of their fellow committee members. Every resolution requires a majority vote to pass. If passed, it is stamped with an SGA seal of approval and sent to President Trombley and her staff. These resolutions act as the ‘official opinion” of the student body.
Any current member of the SGA can draft a resolution and present it in front of the rest of the committee. Furthermore, a member of the regular student body can also work alongside a general committee member to draft a resolution.
SGA Events
The SGA puts on several events throughout the school year to help unite the student body and create connections with those they serve. This fall, SGA will be running Southwestern’s Homecoming court presentation on October 25th. They will also be hosting a multi-day food drive, with dates being announced soon. Last but certainly not least, they will be putting on a Finals Week Hot-Chocolate Pick Me Up during the week of December 8th to help keep students in that holiday spirit while they conduct their last minute cram sessions.
How can I get in touch?
It is important to know how to get in touch with your representatives. On the SGA Instagram (sga.su), you can find important information, or message the account if you wish to get in touch with the committee. You can also always reach out to any SGA rep via their Southwestern email. By searching up any of the names listed at the bottom of this article in your school gmail account, you can get in touch with a representative directly.
In Conclusion
The student government association is an integral part in the continued betterment of the Southwestern community; serving as the most direct form of communication between the entire student body and the administration.
Most importantly, SGA wants to hear from YOU. If you would like to see a change on campus, it is important to reach out to a member and make your voice heard!
The 2025-2026 SGA members are as follows:
Executive Members:
Andie Abell – President
Claire Montwill – Vice President
Remi Jobi – Parliamentary Chair
Vedant Polepally/Vania Rodreguez – Events Chair
Jackson Feuebacher – Secretary
Alexa Nunez – Communications Chair
Carmella Villereal – Organizations Chair
Kate Dennis – Sustainability Chair
Kamryn Shaffer/Sam Hoffman – Finance Chair
Raven Waugh – Diversity Chair
First Year Representatives:
Luca Bella Francis
Tara Sladek
Margaret Harris
Ezra Suez
Jayden Montalvo
Sophomore Representatives:
Madeline Cowan
Allison Ringer
Brooklyn Spikes
Ainslie Bashara
Lillian Perkins
Junior Representatives:
Mia Galindo
Ella Roberts
Jameer Martin
Victoria Jackson-sears
Cameron Smith
Senior Representatives:
Chloe Jordan
Gary Sunderland
Members at Large:
Angel Opara
Hannah Bartlett
Asin Allavudeen
Devin Yu
Toni Sentell