Olivia Hightower is one of the candidates running for SGA Vice President of Public Relations.
Oliva Hightower, VP of Public Relations
Why are you running for this position?
I am running because I want to represent the student body of Georgia State University as VP of Public Relations by being available to listen to students’ needs, concerns, and wants; and to contribute to the overall student life wellness and school spirit. I also want to create and maintain the image branding of Student Government Association and adhere a level of professionalism; and to coordinate promotional events that add to the university experience of the students. I also want to maintain excellent communication with all media groups at Georgia State University and relate information from SGA to Student Organizations.
What ideas do you have to bring to SGA for your given position?
As VP of Public Relations, I have two key plans to accomplish my goals while serving:
1. Social Media ShoutOut- giving students the voice through social media. Students will have the opportunity to utilize social media communication to actively stay connected with SGA.
2. SGA days- competitions and giveaways for the students following the GSU SGA social media links.
Were you a member of SGA before applying for this position? How did you participate? (i.e: duties)
Although I have not had the pleasure of serving as a member of SGA for Georgia State University, I have served as a senator at my previous college.
A few of my duties included assisting in coordination and execution of various events (such as the Welcome Back Bash, Talent Show, Poetry Slam, Cultural Fair) and leading a monthly film project updating students about events on campus. I also edited and approved new club charters and constitutions. I believe this previous experience has given me the necessary skills to perform my duties as VP of Public Relations successfully.
What are you hoping that SGA accomplishes while you are VP of Public Relations?
What are you hoping to accomplish as (VP of Public Relations/ or individually) within SGA?
I want students to feel like their concerns are being heard and taken seriously. As VP of Public Relations, I will help bridge the gap of communications between the students and the school.
Why do you feel that you should get this position?
I love Georgia State University and I want to see the student life thrive. I have the experience needed to be successful at this job and I would love the opportunity to serve.
Have you had any previous experience in a governmental organization?
Besides SGA, no.
Why did you choose to join SGA?
At my previous college I served on SGA and I loved it. I felt more connected with the students and felt like I tried to create a welcoming university experience for all the students.
Are you a member of any other organizations? If so, which ones?
Although I have only been at Georgia State for a little over a semester, I am already involved in the Student Alumni Association Board of Directors, the GSU Dance Ensemble and the Rock Climbing Club.
What are your career aspirations?
I plan to graduate from Georgia State in May 2015. Ideally, I will land a job as a producer for a small production company in Atlanta. I plan to work in marketing and public relations for TV shows around Atlanta.
What are you doing to prepare for the SGA elections?
My plan for my campaign is to actively engage with students and be available to listen to their needs and issues. Since we live in a modern age where social media is an excellent tool for communication, I also have my personal twitter available for students to address their concerns directly to me @OliviaHightower.
Camryn Bradley is the current SGA Vice President of Public Relations. He is also running for the position this term.
Camryn Bradley, Current VP of Public Relations
Why are you running for this position?
I am running for the position of Vice President of Public Relations because I understand exactly what the student body needs. I am here to serve the student body, and while I have served them well this past year, I believe there is still much work that we started that needs to be completed within the SGA and in regards to the position, but 1 years term simply cannot bring that to fruition. I need another term to really make an impact that students will be able to enjoy for years to come.
What ideas do you have to bring to SGA for your given position?
When I entered my first term in office as the Vice President of Public Relations, the biggest problem with SGA was SGA’s Visibility and Transparency. I laid out a detailed plan to fix that issue, and I can say with confidence a year later that SGA is indeed Visible and Transparent. I increased SGA’s Presence on social media by over 100% adding instagram, expanding our twitter following to the now nearly 2,000 followers versus the mere 200 when I first entered office, and I reinstated SGA’s Facebook page which hadn’t been touched in 3 years. That was only the first step to increasing visibility, I saw the need for SGA to expand it’s signage, so we now have Pop up banners that tell students what’s going on in SGA all around the student/university center. Recently, I have heard the concern of the student body that they are uninformed of the events and opportunities that are ongoing here at Georgia State. So the primary initiative that I started during my term in office and which I plan to continue to develop if re-elected is called the Informed Student Initiative or (ISI). This is the culmination of bringing every organization together through Organizations United, a entity of SGA which I assisted creating under the direction of President Whyte that brings all student organizations together and provides them the opportunity to voice their opinions and come up with solutions to concerns of student that the campus faces. I have also began creating a central calendar for all students to be able to access in a convenient location for them to view physically on campus and in cyberspace online. I have also been working in to replace orgsync with something more modern, easy to use, and accessible for students. I plan to continue the SGA bi-weekly newsletter that I started, The SGA Insider, as well as continue to brand SGA in ways it has never been branded and marketed before. SGA is in a great place since I began my term in office, but there is so much more we can do, and if I am re-elected, I promise to make sure these initiatives and any other initiatives the student body brings us is carried out.
Were you a member of SGA before applying for this position? How did you participate? (i.e: duties)
Yes, I was the Vice President of Public Relations.
My duties as listed in the SGA constitution verbatim…
What are you hoping that SGA accomplishes while you are VP of Public Relations?
Hope is term that shows doubt that accomplishments will be reached. I am confident that in my leadership, SGA will accomplish every goal we set out to achieve.
What are you hoping to accomplish as (VP of Public Relations/ or individually) within SGA?
My first priorities are always making sure that the image of our SGA is upheld and making sure that SGA is visible and transparent. However, there is one more aspect that no one really discusses and I have observed to be something I really think the transparency and visibility questions originate from and thats SGA’s approachability. So one thing I am currently working on and plan to continue working on is making sure that students feel comfortable coming to SGA with their concerns, especially since SGA is so visible now. I’ll be the first to say that one way I have plans on doing that is through the renovation of our office to create a more welcoming space for students to come and meet with us, and not to mention picking up the ever so popular blue books and scantrons.
Why do you feel that you should get this position?
I feel that I am the most qualified individual for this position because I am the hardest working and most skilled individual SGA has seen in a long time in this position. Before I give this position up, I will make sure someone is trained efficiently to take it and go even further with it than I have. However, at the moment there is no one who knows the ins and outs of the position better than I do, nor has anyone shown the motivation, dedication or commitment to go above and beyond the roles that the constitution writes out for the position. Being in SGA is about representing and serving the students that have called on you to carry out their voices, and I know that I am the best person to do that.
Have you had any previous experience in a governmental organization? If so, what was it?
In my position as the Vice President of Public Relations, I have also spoken to numerous state senators and visited the capital on behalf of the student body.
Why did you choose to join SGA?
First of all, every enrolled student is a member of Student Government Association. However, I chose to become involved in a leadership position in SGA because I love my university, and I saw it as an avenue of service to the student body to make my university a better place. My ultimate goal is to assist in moving GSU forward in becoming the premiere research institution in southeast region of the United States. I am always striving and looking for ways to improve my university and make sure that even students who have graduated from this institution are involved in making the value of our degrees increase and the value of the experiences we make here during our collegiate years are worth it.
Are you a member of any other organizations? If so, which ones?
I am currently a member of The SGA, Tighter Grip, and Campus Pals. In the past I was the president of the Black Sophomore Society, I was on the 2012 Homecoming Court, A member of LeadTeam, A Resident Assistant in the Commons building A, and a Editor for GSTV’s Panther Report.
What are your career aspirations?
I want to entrepreneur a Marketing and Computer Information Systems Consulting Firm.
What are you doing to prepare for the SGA Elections?
I’m training Team Impact to be the best candidates for office. I endorse this group of individuals because they are knowledgeable of the concerns of the students, and they are intelligent enough to ensure that solutions are developed to resolve them. When everyone is talking about what could be done, we are working to ensure things get done. We are about results, and we are coming strong this year. I feel that this upcoming year will be a dynamic one in the life of SGA, and I say this to the student body. “Just Wait on it.”
