Position: President
Name: Mariya Nadberezhna
Year: Senior
Major: Communications and Russian
Slate: None
Why did you decide to run for this position?
“I am running for president because I want to leave my own impact on San Diego State. I feel that, while it is a great school already, there are still a few things that can be improved. I also would like to give a voice to the people who don’t necessarily have the opportunity to give their own voice. So in a way, put them a little higher on a pedestal since I myself will be in a position of power.”
What makes you qualified for this position? What is your history with A.S.?
“My most recent leadership experience is in the SDSU Marching Aztecs. I was sousaphone section leader this past year, and in the SDSU Pep Band, I was the lead bass guitarist. Most of that gave me a lot of management skills and a lot of general people skills, which already come with being a communications major. I have been a part of KCR College Radio. I have been a part of a student run, nonprofit organization called the Muskwa Club Incorporated. Their focus is primarily on saving the Vaquita porpoise. I have been the president of the international chapter as well as my high school chapter and I am also the collegiate divisional vice president representing SDSU.”
What would you like to change at SDSU?
“Currently I would like to bridge the gap between the privileged and not so privileged because I feel that I know the struggle since I grew up in a low-income, single-parent family. I feel like I am here to represent the people who do not necessarily have the means or economic benefits to actually stand for what they believe in. I want everyone to know that taking up a position of power is something that anyone can do. I want to bring the campus together because I feel that recently there has been a divide.”
Can you name something you like and something you dislike about A.S.?
“Something I really like about A.S. is that in a way it brings the campus community together. It brings students together. Something I dislike about A.S. is that I feel that they don’t always hear the student body, and I would like to change that.”
What will be your top three priorities in this role?
“Improving student quality of life, which entails mental and physical health, celebrating diversity and not just hearing but also listening.”
Interviews have been edited for clarity and brevity.
