Student Government, Finance Chair

Carlos Alfonzo

​

When my brother and I were researching extracurriculars, my brother suggested that we join the student government out of an idea to become involved with the largest organization on campus. On my first week of classes, I saw the student government tabling near the bookstore. I met the advisor, Doug Bagby, and the senate president. I grabbed applications for my siblings, and we all became student senators soon after. The student senate met in an auditorium filled with around 60 people. Meetings were conducted using Robert’s Rules of Order, and people conducted themselves in a professional manner, receiving permission to speak and using motions to alter something during the meeting. It was in this manner that we met every Wednesday at 4pm, and became acquainted with many people at Santa Fe. In my opinion, it was the best way to meet the most number of people and attain a sense of belonging at the college as a whole. As an academic senator, I represented the English department, and I met with the chair of the department every month to update her on resolutions passed by the student senate. Resolutions are statements passed by the senate to express an opinion of students at the college. They ranged from silly topics to very serious issues. The most hotly-contested debate that occurred during my tenure was about concealed carry on campus. Both sides of the argument had valid points, and the stakes were high since the student senate is where student-led initiatives started. Others said that such a thing would be an inevitable result of a Republican-led Florida legislature. In the end, the student senate rejected the resolution calling for the adoption of concealed carry on campus. During this time, I was nominated and elected as a member of the student government finance committee, which allocated a $120,000 student government budget to different branches of the student government and to student organizations.

​

Campaigning season for the leadership team positions started in the spring. The eight leadership team positions of the student government corresponded to the leaders of each branch of the student government. In the executive branch, we had the president, vice president, and treasurer. These students were in charge of attending administrative meetings, attending ceremonies, and handling expenditures of the student government budget. The legislative branch had the senate president and senate president pro tempore, who presided over student senate meetings. The judicial branch was headed by the chief justice, who was in charge of ensuring the enforcement of the constitution and rules. Lastly, we had a programming branch, which created events held on campus, and it was headed by the events chair and finance chair.

​

I wanted to become the SGP Finance Chair to have an active role in creating events like the ones I attended and also have more experience with some form of money management. I grabbed an application in the early spring and continued to attend the finance committee meetings. The SGP Finance Chair is one of the positions that are elected by the senate. I assembled my presentation and held my case. In the end, I received well over the majority of the votes and won the election.

​

In the summer, we went on a trip to St. Augustine to plan and bond together as a team. For the next year, they would be my friends and coworkers, and we would share many experiences together. I was given a staff email, office keys, and a staff parking pass to begin my term. Although I was mostly in charge of the $20,000 events budget, I was also given the liberty to create my own events, and so I did. My first event was called Summersault, which consisted of a mix between a volleyball game and a trivia game. For bonus points, I crafted 80 questions from many academic subjects to be asked after a certain number of points were scored.

​

After a conversation with the advisor and the student body president, who had been previously the events chair, I received feedback from previous years’ students and decided to change several things in my branch as an SG-wide effort to update the constitution. I drafted a bill to change the Programming Branch to the Programs agency, to make it more in line with the US government and to avoid common confusion between event programming and computer programming. I also created an executive board and created several positions to aid in every function. The bill was passed smoothly through the senate and it became official.

During my fall semester, I would attend many events held by the administration and participate in several Florida student government conferences. My favorite event was a treasure hunt called Mystery at the Pumpkin Grove, in which I wrote a story with three different paths. Only those who gathered all the information could reach the last treasure, but there was not enough time to do it alone.

​

In the spring, I attended a student government conference called Rally in Tally, in which student government members from all over the state would gather to discuss issues with Florida legislators. I’d read previously that there was an attempt in the Florida Senate to take away in-state tuition guarantees from undocumented immigrants. When I talked to a senator, I was quickly told that all kinds of bills flow in and out of the legislature every year, and that not all bills receive enough support to even pass through a committee. With some relief, I decided to go ahead with my decision to speak in a committee. I spoke to the legislators about the importance of preserving the current law, and the importance of protecting vulnerable groups in society. As a first-generation immigrant, I could sympathize with some of the issues undocumented students face.

​

Near the end of my term, I applied to be in the Santa Fe College Hall of Fame. I was accepted and then inducted in the student awards celebration alongside several friends. Student government elections were held, and I passed on the baton ready for small break and excited for my next challenge.

Student Ambassadors

Zita Segarra

​

The Student Ambassador Program’s focus is to inform the community about Santa Fe College’s educational programs and recreational opportunities. Through the program, I assisted many Santa Fe advisors, faculty, and students. I helped advisors with Just for Juniors, Senior Night, and College Night. Also, I helped faculty and students with SF performances, student events, and campus tours. Overall, I was able to communicate with countless advisors, faculty, current and potential students, at every event I assisted with.   

To illustrate, I was able to speak with high seniors and their parents about college plans during Senior Night 2015. With the information I learned from the ambassador program, I gave students reliable and useful information about college, specifically Santa Fe, to help their make the smart choices for their future. I also helped Bob Fetterman with multiple productions, concerts and dances, by guiding people to their seats and serving snacks. Additionally, I gave a campus tour to a group of middle school and high school students when I volunteered for the Alachua County Region Science Fair.

When I wasn’t volunteering, I was attending weekly ambassador meetings. During these meetings, I learned leadership skills and interpersonal skills. In addition, I continued to learn about the amazing academic programs Santa Fe has to offer. In the end, I used the knowledge I learned in the weekly meetings to provide interactive campus tours and give students important college information and tips for college success.

As an ambassador, I had the pleasure to meet SF advisors, faculty, and students on a very personal level. The program not only made me realize the importance of community service, but also allowed me to make a new family away from home, meet new friends, and establish a strong professional network.  Therefore, I can honestly say the Student Ambassador Program allowed me to grow an individual, citizen, and as a college student.

Santa Fe College Volleyball Team

Julie Fuchs

To Whom It May Concern, 

Julie was one of the original members of our first ever volleyball team at Santa Fe. She joined our program in the fall of 2014 and was an important part of the initial success of our program. While she was here, the team accumulated a 52-17 overall record and was a starter for two years. In addition, Julie was a member of the Santa Fe College Honors program and currently holds a 3.78 overall GPA. Being a student athlete has its own set of challenges and Julie has handled both of these responsibilities extremely well.

It was a leap of faith for Julie to come to Santa Fe and play volleyball as there was no proven track record of success. Julie’s commitment to her academics and to the future growth of the volleyball program speaks volumes to her attitude and self-confidence.

Nick Cheronis

Head Volleyball Coach

Santa Fe College

​

​

​

To Whom It May Concern,

Please accept this letter of recommendation for Julie Fuchs and her acceptance into the University of Florida as a transfer student. Julie is finishing up her studies here at Santa Fe College that began in the fall of 2014 when she entered Santa Fe.

Not only has Julie been a model citizen and superior student here at Santa Fe, she played an important role as a leader on the very first intercollegiate volleyball team at the college.

Although soft spoken, Julie chose to lead by example and quickly earned the respect of her teammates and student-athletes in other programs that watched how she balanced her responsibilities. Her work ethics are admirable and her decision making process reflects the maturity that has helped her excel in all aspects of college life.

As a college administrator, it is always rewarding for me to watch a student like Julie learn to maneuver her way through the challenging pathway of college life. She was always focused on doing whatever was necessary to make herself, her team and the SF Athletics Department better. I believe that these and numerous other positive character traits will help guide Julie through a very successful collegiate and professional career.

Sincerely,

Jim Keites

Athletics Director

Santa Fe College