Hobart and William Smith Colleges

4 March 2018 Board Welcomes Gomez 17, Grattan 17

Sydney Gomez 17 and Zach Grattan 17 have been elected as junior Student Trustees for the next academic year. As representatives of the HWS student body, Gomez and Grattan will sit on the Board of Trustees in governing the Colleges.

A tradition at HWS each spring semester, the Student Trustee Election is a capstone practice that embodies the Colleges value of collaborative relationships between students and administration. Gomez and Grattan will first familiarize themselves with the practices and issues of the Colleges as non-voting Board members. They will become voting members during their senior year, succeeding the current junior Student Trustees Max Gorton 16 and Nicole OConnell 16.

A psychology major, Gomez is excited to serve the HWS community and continue a legacy of progress among Student Trustees. It means a lot to me that my fellow William Smith women chose me to be their representative and I cannot thank them enough, Gomez says. I am very grateful and humbled.

Her dedication to the Colleges was evident before being elected Student Trustee, including her work as co-vice president of Sankofa, public relations director of the Campus Activities Board, a voting member of the Budget Allocation Committee and a member of College Bookstore Committee. Gomez says she represents the student voice and hopes to further facilitate connections between students and administrators, advancing dialogue and addressing important issues.

I have found that once people start talking, their differences become smaller and their similarities become greater; once this happens I think well start to have an even more unified community, she says.

Gomez will serve alongside Grattan, an international relations and religious studies double major.

Id like to thank all of the Hobart students who took the time to vote because its so important that we represent ourselves on campus, Grattan says.

A member of the Hobart basketball team, Grattan is a proud Statesman who hopes to focus on fostering a sense of community. Grattan says he looks forward to working with Hobart Student Government and boosting interest, resulting in higher student participation in events. In addition, Grattan wants to work toward creating more social space options on campus, crediting Student Activities for its current efforts with the After Dark Series and The Underground.

As Student Trustees, Grattan and Gomez will attend Board of Trustee meetings and organize student summits to remain connected to the needs of students. In their year as junior members, Grattan and Gomez will look to and collaborate with their predecessors, OConnell and Gorton, in addressing student needs within the Board.