With UPUA election day quickly approaching, three presidential candidates are vying to replace outgoing President T.J. Bard. Over the next several days, we’ll be posting profiles of each ticket to help you make a more educated decision on March 28.

Links:

Twitter, Facebook, Platform

Courtney Lennartz: Presidential Candidate

Basic Information

Junior from Waldorf, Maryland. Majoring in Health Policy & Adminstriation, minoring in Labor Studies and Employment Relations.

What is your political background/experience?

I have spent the past three years highly involved in the UPUA. My freshman year I served as the College of Agricultural Sciences Representative, my sophomore year I served as the Academic Affairs Committee Chairwoman, and this past year I served as Vice President alongside my running-mate, TJ Bard. In addition to UPUA, I am also the current Executive Director of the Association of Big Ten Schools.

Why did you decide to run for UPUA President?

I decided to run for President because I want to ensure that students are given a seat at the table during the decision making process. Our platform is compiled of many different initiatives that will unite all members of the Penn State community. We want to continue and expand projects that I as Vice President have worked on over the last few months, including projects like an off campus housing database, the Princeton Review test prep classes, and laundry automation. We want to ensure that the projects we have worked on this past year are seen to fruition while still bringing new initiatives to students like the campus community for organizations, Big Ten on the Hill, or recreational facility passes.

Why should students vote for you over the other two candidates?

Student should vote for Katelyn and I because we will dedicate ourselves to bringing University governance back to the students by opening lines of communication, by forging strong relationships with student organizations throughout the year, and by working diligently to accomplish everything that we have laid out in our platform. Our previous experience as Penn State student leaders makes us confident that we can begin to move forward with student concerns on day one. Most importantly, Katelyn and I are uniquely prepared to lobby for more student representation on the organizations that run our university, including the current initiative that I have helped lead to increase student seats at administrative round-tables.

Katelyn Mullen: Vice-Presidential Candidate

Basic Information

Sophomore from Old Bridge, New Jersey. Majoring in Marketing and Public Relations.

What is your political background/experience?

Why did you decide to run for UPUA Vice-President?

When I heard that President Bard would not be running for a second term, members from the UPUA reached out me and asked if I would be interested in running at their Vice President. After meeting with the different individuals, it was apparent that Courtney goals aligned directly with mine. Not only this, but her experience and dedication to serving the students was something that could not be avoided. With our balance of Courtney’s experience of the UPUA and my fresh perspective, her knowledge of academics and mine with student life, we determined that we would be the best pair to be student body President and Vice President.

Why should students vote for you over the other two candidates?

Students should vote for Courtney and me, as opposed to the other candidates, because we know we have what it takes to be President and Vice President. We have spent our years at the Pennsylvania State University serving the students. We have also built the relationships with administrators and faculty, which are essential for completing our platform. Despite the outcome of the election, Courtney and I have already put our ideas in motion, and want to see our initiative completed. We also believe that we have the best intentions of the students in mind, which is why out platform encompassed every facet of University Park that ranges from academics to student life. We are determined to make Penn State the best it can be.