For over seven years now, I have had the unique opportunity to represent students at UW-Whitewater.  First, as a senator on Whitewater Student Government, then as the Speaker of the Senate, and finally/currently, as a representative on the Whitewater Common Council. I write this letter not to explain my own advances in government, but to advocate for the advancement of another.   In those seven years, I have had the incredible privilege of not only helping students’ voices be heard when they cannot speak for themselves, but also to meet many student leaders interested in the same opportunity.

We can hope every day that every student will take the time necessary to research and form an opinion on every issue that comes before university, local, state, and even federal levels of government—or, we can recognize the awesome responsibility that comes with being their voice, taking the time to do that research, voicing those opinions, and ultimately, casting a vote.

When I met Tom Kind, I knew he was different from other student representatives.  He had done his research before our conversation.  He knew of my experience with Whitewater Student Government.  Instead of immediately telling me every issue he wanted to pursue as your Whitewater Student Government, the first question he asked me was, “what do you want done?  You, as a student, a former senator, and a common council member, what do you think UW-W needs to do and how can I do it?”

Spoiler: Your student representatives do not know everything.  They never will.  Like you, they are on campus to learn—and serving in student government requires just as much learning as any class offered here.  The best of them understand effective leadership isn’t always about being the loudest at the table, but about hearing from, working with, and drawing from a diverse group of people with unique insights.

Tom listened to me carefully.  He heard me say that I believe Whitewater Student Government and UW-Whitewater itself need to take a tougher approach when it comes to campus sexual assault, so my friends and people I love who have been victims can be comfortable and educated enough to know where to turn.  He heard me explain how city government affects students every day.  He listened to my ideas on how to work cohesively and later offered me some ideas that hadn’t occurred to me, even as I approach a decade of representing Warhawks—ideas I hope to work on alongside him.

To put it simply, you won’t find a better candidate in 2017 for Whitewater Student Government than Tom Kind.  He will educate and he will advocate.  He will speak for you and speak with you.  He will, without a doubt, serve YOU, not himself.  He will graduate with an incredible resume, but he sacrifice his time for long meetings and events, because Tom truly is an altruistic leader, the likes of whom UW-Whitewater needs most of all. I wholeheartedly endorse his candidacy.