Seniors Eleanor Hanson and Adriana Salgado served as the SGA student body president and vice president, respectively, for the 2021-2022 school year. The now graduating seniors reflected on their time leading the Saint Mary’s community.
Hanson and Salgado will both receive a Bachelor of Arts in communications and minors in public relations and advertising.
When asked what they had planned coming into the 2021-2022 school year and what they hoped to achieve this year, Hanson responded by email, saying her administration wanted to create more opportunities for the students and maintain The College’s values post-pandemic.
“We wanted to continue the Saint Mary’s values by creating more opportunities for students by engaging with students,” Hanson said. “We also wanted to give students the opportunity to use their voice in comparison to years past. We have also worked closely with the new president, President Katie Conboy, to make [the] overall student experience better as we have transitioned from the pandemic.”
In their first few months of the school year, the duo focused efforts on promoting the inauguration of Saint Mary’s College President Katie Conboy, which took place in October. They then placed focus on supporting committees.
“We knew we [would] plan and promote the inauguration of our 14th President Katie Conboy,” Hanson said in the email. “However, our main goal was to help our committees with the planning of their events and become more involved with the tri-campus community and our big boards on campus,” Hanson said.
When asked what they thought their biggest accomplishment was this year, Hanson responded that the pair believed it to be the inauguration.
“We were so blessed to play such an active role in the planning process, and it was a once in a lifetime experience,” Hanson said.
However, the duo did not get to do everything they set out to do.
“We wanted to put on a Pride fest event, but it was too last minute, so we hope the next president and vice president can put together an event like that to show our school support and representation,” Hanson said.
When asked if they had any advice for the new SGA student body president and vice president, Hanson said she would advise the new term to work as a team and stay organized.
“Learn to lean on each other and your team. This is not a job that you can do alone,” she said. “Make sure to stay organized and openly communicate with everyone involved in planning events and initiatives. Make sure to cherish your last year here and enjoy every minute.”
Hanson also spoke on how Saint Mary’s College impacted the pair over the years.
“Saint Mary’s helped us find our voices and passions,” she said. “Our experience at Saint Mary’s has prepared us for the real world and we will never forget the people and memories we are leaving behind.”
Hanson said she will miss Saint Mary’s as a whole but will also miss the small things about the school, such as “the small moments of enjoying time with friends such as going on walks down the [Avenue], going to late night breakfast and movie nights — overall being a part of such a supportive community.”
After graduation, Hanson will be working as the Marketing Communications Coordinator for Notre Dame’s Alumni Association. Salgado will go on to continue her education by pursuing a master’s degree in non-profit administration at the University of Notre Dame.
Hanson had a few final words for the Saint Mary’s community: “Thank you for your continual support. You have made our time as Saint Mary’s [SGA] president and vice president worthwhile. Thank you for every minute.”
