The applications are in, the committee has made its recommendations and in a few weeks, Ohio Gov. John Kasich will announce the next Ohio University student trustee.
Of the seven applicants for the position, four were recommended as finalists to be interviewed by the governor’s office, though only three will make the trip to Columbus on Wednesday, said Amrit Saini, vice president of Student Senate and chairman of the student trustee selection committee.
“I am more confident in this year’s trustee candidates than I’ve ever been in years past,” Saini said. “They are dedicated and people who generally have the student interest at heart.”
This year’s finalists, all current Student Senate members, will meet a representative from Kasich’s office in Columbus.
The student trustee will be announced at the Leadership Gala on April 3, Vice President for Student Affairs Ryan Lombardi said.
Katherine Clausen
Clausen, a freshman from Celina, Ohio, studying communication studies in the Honors Tutorial College, said she hopes to bring her leadership experience from high school and her initial time at OU into her role as student trustee.
In high school, Clausen was a member of the executive board of the Ohio Association of Student Councils. At OU, she transitioned into a student leader as the East Green Senator for Student Senate along with becoming Hall Council President for the Read-Johnson Scholars Complex, according to Clausen’s student trustee application.
“I’m really passionate about the ability to keep this campus and this university great, and I think that’s really important,” Clausen said.
In her application, Clausen wrote that a student trustee must be someone who can be trusted by the student body to do the right thing when it comes to making difficult choices.
“I want to focus on making sure public education stays public … (and make sure) we’re doing what we can to keep good faculty and staff on board but also making sure that the education is affordable,” Clausen said.
Kendall Triplett
A sophomore from New Philadelphia, Ohio, studying political science, Triplett hopes to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Kyle Triplett, who was a student trustee two years ago.
“I’ve had a lot of leadership experiences throughout high school,” Triplett said. “I can be a pretty good liaison between the students and the board.”
Triplett has worked as University Life Commissioner in Student Senate for two years and was president of his residence hall last year, according to his application.
“Being visible to students is key to being a successful student trustee,” Triplett wrote in his application. “I would make sure to hold office hours at convenient times of the day, or by appointment.”
Keith Wilbur
Also a sophomore, Wilbur is from Columbus and is studying economics and political science.
“I’m involved in a lot here, a lot of student organizations,” he said. “I think I have a decent student perspective of campus.”
Starting in Student Senate as an intern his freshman year, Wilbur eventually became East Green Senator during Winter Quarter last year before the Governmental Affairs vice-commissioner this school year, according to his application. He has also worked as a peer mentor and tour guide at OU.
“I want to make sure the university looks good outside, but I also want to make sure we’re taking care of our students. … Everybody has to be involved in the equation,” he said. “The student trustee must be a strongly motivated, principled person, with sufficient experience on campus to understand the views and interests of other members of the university community.”
dd195710@ohiou.edu
