Position: Executive Vice President
Name: Kyla Blaylock
Year: Junior
Major: Business Management
Slate: Vote SDSU
Why did you decide to run for this position?
“I really am passionate about the work that I’m doing. I spent the last three years being a part of the Aztec Student Union Board, which is a lot of programming, and I know that we’ve done a lot of great work. In addition, I know that even though we continue to say that leadership starts here, I want to ensure that we’re diversifying what leadership looks like.”
What makes you qualified for this position? What is your history with A.S.?
“I’ve been a part of Associated Students since I stepped foot on this campus. It’s the first organization that I joined and the one that I do believe that I’ve been the most committed to. As the commissioner of the Aztec Student Union Board this past year, I was in charge of overseeing about a half a million dollar budget for the largest board for Associated Students, and I really think that a lot of the programming work that we’ve done has been really impactful. But, I think more than anything, I love being a part of an organization that doesn’t necessarily have a lot of people that look like me, and I want to ensure that, not only as a person of color but as a black woman, I continue to represent those underserved communities that don’t necessarily always have a voice.”
What would you like to change at SDSU?
“More than anything, I really think that my team and I are really working to bridge the gaps between the different communities at San Diego State. You would look at all five of us and think, ‘They don’t hang out together, they don’t kick it, they’re not friends.’ But, I think that’s what makes us so great because we come from such different parts of campus and we are involved in such different communities that we could, as the “u” in “Vote SDSU” stands for, unify the campus into one greater community.”
Can you name something you like and something you dislike about A.S.?
“I really like that Associated Students, in my time spent within the organization, has made the campus seem smaller. I love being able to walk around and always see people that I know and learn more about the different organizations that they’re involved in and go to their events and talk to them about what they’re doing. I think that one thing we can continue to do better on is ensuring (we are doing our) best supporting underrepresented communities, and I think that’s something that I want to ensure that I’m doing hopefully if I get elected. (I will promote this) by hopefully having town halls in all of the different resources centers.”
What will be your top three priorities in this role?
“SDSU stands for, ‘strengthen, diversify, sustain and unify,’ so I would like to strengthen our intentionality in programming and all the work we’re doing. Diversify what leadership looks like, as I mentioned earlier. Then, sustain all the great work we’ve been doing with the various initiatives in addition to improving and encouraging sustainability efforts not only on the main campus but at Imperial Valley campus and at the extension in Mission Valley and hopefully by doing all that we can to unify San Diego State.”
Interviews have been edited for clarity and brevity.
