Toward the end of a night full of awards, scholarships and even some teary goodbyes from outgoing Vice President for Student Affairs Kent Smith, Ohio University President Roderick McDavis announced a new student trustee.
Amanda Roden, a sophomore studying Spanish, was appointed to the position by Ohio Gov. John Kasich after a lengthy application review and interview process.
The announcement came during Wednesday evening’s 29th Annual Leadership Awards Gala, organized by the Division of Student Affairs. The event, held in the Baker University Center Ballroom, honored the recipients of 18 different awards, in addition to the presentation of the new student trustee.
Roden said she had no prior knowledge that she would be appointed to the position.
“To be honest, my jaw dropped. I’m excited and honored. … I really did not see it coming,” she said, noting that all of the finalists were talented and had experience.
Student trustees are appointed by the governor and serve on the OU Board of Trustees for two years, in staggered terms.
Roden was selected from a pool of five finalists that also included Alex Molnar, a freshman studying industrial systems engineering; Allie Dyer, a sophomore studying political science; Drew Hudson, a junior studying anthropology; and Jackson Lavelle, a sophomore studying history and political science.
“One of the main things I want to accomplish (in the position) is more student visibility … and just getting to know the student perspective,” Roden said.
The announcement of the new student trustee at the gala has become a sort of tradition, McDavis said.
“Gov. John Kasich … had a very strong pool of candidates when selecting this year’s student trustee,” he said.
Roden was not the only one to exhibit excitement after the ceremony had ended: Allison Arnold, a junior studying public relations and the junior student trustee, told Roden amid a hug that they would get coffee to begin talking about the position.
Arnold, who will serve on the Board of Trustees with Roden next year, said she was looking forward to her second year on the board.
“I hope to become more engaged in some of the processes,” Arnold said. “I’m excited to be serving on Budget Planning Council, and I’m just really excited to step into some of the second-year duties that come along with being the senior student trustee.”
Roden will replace outgoing student trustee Danielle Parker, a junior studying public relations who said her experience with the Board of Trustees was a positive one, and offered some advice to the new student trustee.
“I think one of the things that I would advise for a student trustee coming in to do, is to really become engaged from the beginning and to really ask those difficult questions,” Parker said.
As the head of Student Affairs, Smith took the opportunity to say a public farewell to some of the students, faculty members and administrators in attendance, including McDavis.
“This man gave me a chance when a lot of other people would not have given me this opportunity for six and a half years. … Most vice presidents for Student Affairs don’t get the opportunities I have had under your leadership,” Smith said to McDavis.
bv111010@ohiou.edu
