Name: Ronnie Cravens
Position: vice president of university affairs
Year: junior
Major: International business, emphasis in Italian and Western Europe
Why do you want to run for vice president of university affairs?
I decided to run for vice president of university affairs mainly because I want to be able to give back to San Diego State the same experience that I received. San Diego State is an amazing university that has given me the opportunity to foster friendships and relationships with people from all across the globe, which is something I wasn’t really capable to do back home. I’m from from Kansas City, Missouri, from an undereducated, low-income background and coming here it just opened my eyes and I just want to be able to assure that every student has that fulfilling experience that I have. And as chief academic officer I feel like that’s something that I hold dear because education is the reason Im at San Diego State. I was give nthe opportunity to attend this university free of cost from a full-ride scholarship funded by Bill and Melinda Gates for my exemplary display of leadership, community service and academic excellence so I just believe that I will be able to use those skills and implement then into this campus.
What makes you qualified for this position?
I feel like I’m qualified because my diversity of thought, my diversity of experience and my diversity of action because of my background I was forced to learn leadership skills at a very young age. San Diego State has their famous saying ‘leadership starts here’ but leadership started for me at the age of seven. I came to the understanding that I was being raised without a father and I came to that understanding because of a conversation I had with my mom when she had to fight through tears to explain to me that my father was murdered four months after she had become pregnant with me and digesting those words and seeing the struggle she went through, I came to the realization that if you could effectively communicate with every individual that you encounter, then you will eliminate the possibility of conflict, and an altercation is what took my father’s life.
What would you like to change at SDSU?
I would like change how certain individuals or any individual feels that they are not safe on campus. I feel like that’s the biggest thing, whether it be from being an undocumented student or a student affiliated with a certain organizatio,n I just feel like there should be no hostility in a climate like this.
What would you like to stay the same at SDSU?
I would like the diversity to stay the same. Like I said, I was able to foster relationships from students from all across the world, like I can’t even name every country in which I have friends from but it has to be the upwards of 15 or 16.
Interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
