SRU names next student trustee
Brooklyn Graham was sworn in Wednesday as the next student trustee for Slippery Rock University’s council.
Graham, a junior political science major from Ford City, said she is looking forward to advocating for the student body on a larger scale in her new role.
“I want to make sure even as one person that I take the opinions of students of all kinds and be the mouthpiece for these people,” she said. “It will be interesting hearing beliefs that aren’t necessarily my own.”
Besides interacting with students, Graham’s position will require attendance at trustee meetings and participating in the selection of a new college president.
“With President (William J.) Behre announcing his retirement, the council of trustees plays a huge role in choosing the next (candidate),” she said. “We’ll be looking at the pros and cons of the administration as of now and work collaboratively to see where we want to go in the future.”
As a leader and mentor for on-campus organizations such as the Black Action Society, the Center for Career and Academic Progress, and the Office for Inclusive Excellence, Graham is no stranger to the campus culture.
The student trustee role is a natural next step in her academic career, Graham said.
“I’m pretty involved on campus. I was honored and super-excited to be named student trustee,” she said. “(It’s) something I’ve wanted to do since I was a freshman. I’ve put in the work behind the scenes and now it feels like a natural progression for me to step up to this role.”
Graham said she hopes to pursue a doctorate in her field, and thinks her new role will contribute to her endeavors beyond college.
“I hope this opens my eyes to different avenues of education and exposes me to passions I don’t know I have yet. This could also be a foot in the door for other opportunities.”
Graham will participate in her first council of trustees meeting June 2 and 3.
