The Prez has the last word....for now!

How incredibly fast the semester has gotten started, and I already feel like it's half over (one of my professors mentioned a midterm in two weeks!).

After surviving the windstorms, and playing catch up to make up for a lost day of meetings and interviews, I am pleased to announce that USUAA has a new Public Relations Director! Evelyn Castillo is a graduate of East High school and is very excited to start working with us, and we can't wait to get started!

This past week I also had the privilege of sitting down with UAA Chancellor Tom Case to talk about different issues affecting students. We discussed everything from improving the locations of Emergency Call stations around campus, to possibly starting a Chancellor Facebook page where he can better communicate with students and share information more easily. In fact, the Chancellor
gave me a quote for this post. He's got our back: “It’s great to see our student government so engaged. I encourage you to get involved!” Don't worry, Chancellor, we WILL!

Here we are at our retreat; on the wall are many ideas to engage!

Lastly I also had the opportunity to attend this years Gold Pan Awards hosted by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce with the Chancellor and got to watch UAA's Flight Crew club give a performance at the event.

Over this past weekend, USUAA had their semi-annual retreat where we focused on team building, goal setting, and learning our different personality strengths. I could not be more proud of the group of women and men that are on the Assembly this year. Each of them holds vast potential to do great things for their University, and I get to work with each and every one of them!

Kickoff seems like AGES ago!

However the work that we do as representatives of the student body would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our advisor and administrative assistants, Paula Fish and Anita Bradbury. Both of these women have children and families of their own, however they work and treat us as if we are just as much a part of their lives as their own family members. I don't think I could say thank you enough for everything Paula and Anita do for myself as well as for the Assembly. Their continuous support and encouragement is what keeps this organization going. Paula was also selected to be a part of the I am UAA campaign, and although she still wears her orange and blue proudly, she is a Seawolf at heart, through and through.

Once again, I could not be more proud of the position I am in, and the organization that I am a part of.

-- Alejandra Buitrago
USUAA Student Body President