The Marriott Undergraduate Student Association announced its new president, Samantha Raleigh, to head a 30-member leadership council during the annual elections on April 7.
“The election process is a very exciting time for MUSA,” said McKay Potter, current MUSA president. “The candidates carefully put together their platforms and initiatives for the next year in preparations for two presentations.”
This year’s candidates, Samantha Raleigh and Nathan Nielsen, gave presentations to the current MUSA council about their plans for the Marriott School as well as presentations to Marriott undergraduate students and club leaders on April 3.
“The students and club leaders also have an opportunity to engage the candidates in a question-and-answer portion,” Potter said. “Following these presentations, students may cast their vote for their next MUSA president.”
Raleigh and Nielsen presented their platforms in hopes of winning the MUSA presidential election. Each expressed their reasons for wanting to lead the undergraduate council.
“I wanted the opportunity to give back,” Nielsen said. “I’ve seen how beneficial MUSA can be in aiding the Marriott School students in getting internships and preparing for their careers, and I’ve seen how influential the different clubs can be.”
Nielsen landed an internship through the connections he made in the Investment Banking Club. His goal in the campaign was to connect MUSA with other clubs in order to provide more opportunities for students.
Raleigh also has experience with Marriott School clubs as well as several different majors within the school.
“These experiences have given me a broad exposure to a lot of unique needs of different students in the Marriott School,” Raleigh said. “I’ve loved my experiences here, but I’ve also felt that there are a lot of things that could be done to improve the student experience.”
Both students running for MUSA presidents explained that the main goal of their campaigns was to improve the experience for students and provide more opportunities for internship preparation.
“Some of my top initiatives include strengthening and expanding Quest Events, developing a mentoring program for pre-management students, increasing communication between students and deans and creating a Zion-like community and culture within the Marriott School,” Raleigh said.
Potter will finish his term as MUSA president through the end of the winter semester, and then Raleigh will immediately begin to organize a new student council and prepare for the fall semester.
“I have worked with Sam Raleigh a lot this past year, and I know she will be a great leader for the Marriott School,” Potter said. “She is driven by her ideas and loves to see others grow. I am excited to see what next year’s council will accomplish.”
With high hopes for success and plenty of new opportunities to grow, Raleigh said she is celebrating this accomplishment with a celebration dance and a movie night with her roommates.
