President
RAKHA ZABIN
Joint PhD in Educational Studies
My dear Badgers! My name is Rakha Zabin (she/her), a third-year Ph.D. student in the Faculty of Education. With great pleasure, passion, and privilege, I submit my application to run for and serve on the Graduate Students’ Association as President.
As a graduate student at Brock for five years, throughout this time was fortunate enough to experience Brock and the Niagara community very closely. Currently serving as Deputy President and Vice-President External Affairs, and previously as Associate Vice President-International, this has allowed me to learn more about the GSA as an organization and explore its prospects, mission, and vision. These various positions, and my doctoral research involve event organization, student services, and policy analysis, which I want to further develop through strategic planning and community connections. As an executive member of the GSA and a graduate student in the Joint Ph.D. program, I could help foster relationships between organizations on campus, throughout the region and create meaningful opportunities for graduate students at Brock. As GSA President, I would prioritize building communities and developing meaningful services for graduate students. I hope to improve student experiences through robust connections, prioritizing the needs of all the graduate students; listening to grievances, and representing the student body at different administrative levels to mitigate concerns regarding these student challenges.
It would be an honour to represent the graduate students to the best of my abilities, advocate and ensure that students have an enriching experience during their graduate studies at Brock. I appreciate your consideration.
Vice President, Equity and Inclusion
ALEX WILDER
PhD Biological Sciences
This year I have been honoured with your trust, serving as the Vice President of Equity and Inclusion.
As a disabled, first-generation graduate student, I approached this role with passion. My personal connection to many of the issues I was able to bring to the attention of upper administration, initiated reviews of policy and assisted in the creation of new resources. Your faith in me allowed me to increase the strength of relationships between the GSA and campus partners, increasing graduate focused programming. I have also been able to work closely with an exceptional team of students at large planning and executing the 2023 Cultural Integration Week, featuring 10 in person events and 3 weeklong initiatives. It has been an absolute pleasure to serve and lead such a dedicated, creative, and intelligent team. I entered my role as VP EI with a duty to serve, I would be honoured to carry this duty forward to hold, in a second term. I am dedicated and determined to expand GSA opportunities for student involvement within the organization, increasing financial equity and career preparedness, increased publishing equity and opportunities for graduate student work to be shown through events and internal publications, and continuing to work with campus partners to address accessibility concerns on campus.
Your trust in me to serve the student body has meant more than I can put into words. I would be humbled and honoured to serve students as VP EI, continuing to work and fight for you.
Vice President, External Affairs
LARISSA LOBO
PhD Applied Health Sciences
It is with pleasure that I submit my candidacy for the 2023-24 elections for the position of Vice President, External Affairs. I am Larissa Lobo, a 2nd year PhD student in the Applied Health Sciences program.
After being in post-secondary education for 8 years, I understand just how important a consistent and engaged school is for learning opportunities to advance skills and be successful in the workplace. I have had the honour of attending three different post-secondary schools and have experienced first-hand what works well for the student body and what has not. My goal is to advocate for graduate students at all levels of policy to make sure their collective voice is heard and acted upon. There are always improvements to be made; I am committed to thoughtful planning, collaboration, and feasible strategies to maximize how your time spent is spent in graduate studies (which goes by super quick!). Fostering partnerships, working with external organizations, and being a part of the community are all important aspects of graduate life. Empowering graduate students and ensuring enjoyable and educational learning experiences will all contribute to a rewarding academic journey at Brock University.
I look forward to being actively engaged and contribute to policy that supports graduate students in a larger capacity.
