Students' Association 2023–2024 Senate
The Students' Association Senate is comprised of 26 senators serving the 7 different academic colleges. If an academic college doesn't fill all of their seats Senators At-Large are sworn in to fill empty seats. Additionally, an executive team is formed at the beginning of each term to serve as senate leadership include the Student Body President and Vice President.
Learn more about the Students' Association Executive Team and Senate below!
President
Trinity Peterson
Committees: Finance Committee, Organizational Subcommittee, and UAFBC
Year: Junior | Major(s): Political Science and Agricultural Education
Campus Involvement: 2021–2022 South Dakota State FFA Officer, 100th Little International Staff, Admissions Ambassador and Honors College
Vice President
Hayden Bentz
Committees: Finance Committee, UAFBC
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Human Biology and Business Economics
Campus Involvement: Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band, Fishback Honors College, Honors Dean's Student Advisory Committee, Pre-Dental Club, Admissions Ambassador
Chief of Staff
Benjamin R. Connor
Committees: Government Affairs, Student Diversity & Inclusion, Student Promotions Committee, Senate Communications Committee
Year: Senior | Major(s): Political Science
Campus Involvement: Track/Cross Country, SAAC, Pre-Law Society, Political Science Club and Honors College
Finance Chair
Katie Neuhaus
Committees: Finance Committee (Chair), Government Affairs Committee, Safety and Security Committee, Student Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Student Success Committee
Year: Senior | Major(s): Criminology
Campus Involvement: American Armed Forces
Government Affairs Chair
Michael Garofalo
Committees: Government Affairs Committee (Chair), Student Promotions (Chair), and Campus Planning & Sustainability and Transportation Committee
Year: Senior | Major(s): Political Science
Campus Involvement: Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band, Statesmen Men's Choir, History Club, Political Science Club, Imagine 2023 Strategic Plan Committee
Communications Chair
Hannah Dayaget
Committees: Senate Communications Committee (Chair), Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Integrated Marketing & Communications Committee and Student Promotions (Student Employee Representative)
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Global Studies and Political Science
Campus Involvement: Global Studies Club, Speech and Debate team, Jack's Cupboard.
Diversity Chair
Asledi Castillo
Committees: Student Diversity & Inclusion Committee (Chair), Safety & Security Committee and Diversity & Inclusion Committee
Year: Senior | Major(s): Construction Management
Campus Involvement: Latin American Student Association President
Senators for the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences
Tyler Rasmussen
Committees: Government Affairs Committee, Information Technology Committee
Year: Junior | Major(s): Agriculture Business
Campus Involvement: Alpha Gamma Rho, Inter-Fraternity Council Judicial Officer, Little I Equipment Staff, Collegiate Cattlemen's Club, SDSU Alumni Mentor-Mentee Program, LeadState
Wesley Siira
Committees: Finance Committee, Safety & Security Committee, Parking and Trafficking Committee
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): N/A
Campus Involvement: N/A
Grace Peterson
Committees: Finance Committee, Senate Communications Committee, Student Union Advisory Committee and UFSAC
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Agricultural Business
Campus Involvement:
Kaitlyn Lorang
Committees: Academic Affairs Committee, Wellness Center Advisory Committee, Finance Committee and Senate Communications Committee
Year: Junior | Major(s): Agricultural Communication
Campus Involvement: Agronomy and Precision Ag Club President, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) Member, College of Ag, Food, and Environmental Sciences- Ambassador, Little International Staff
Senators for the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Madeline Brink
Committees: Government Affairs Committee, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Campus Planning and Sustainability Committee
Year: Junior | Major(s): Political Science
Campus Involvement: LeadState, Concert Choir, Symphony Orchestra and Pre-Law Society
Senators for the College of Education and Human Services
Senators for the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering
Grant Sternhagen
Committees: Government Affairs Committee, Information Technology Committee, Academic Affairs Committee, Safety and Security Committee, and Parking and Trafficking Committee
Year: Junior | Major(s): Computer Science
Campus Involvement: Joint Engineering Council, Country Swing Dancing Club and Residence Hall Association
Senators for the College of Natural Sciences
Victoria Vazquez
Committees: Student Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and Safety and Security Committee, Finance Committee
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Human Biology and Psychology
Campus Involvement: Chi Omega, Jacks for Life, Investment Club, AMSA & Pre-Pro and Newman Center
Mara Andersen
Committees: Academic Affairs Committee, Academic Appeals Committee, and Parking and Trafficking Committee
Year: Senior | Major(s): Human Biology
Campus Involvement: LeadState Student Coach Coordinator, Oasis Ministry Team, Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program, Students' Association and Honors College
Senators for the College of Nursing
Rylee Sabo
Committees: Intercollegiate Athletics Board, SUAC, Safety and Security Committee, Finance Committee
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Nursing
Campus Involvement: Admissions Ambassador, SNA and ASL Club
Ellie Ulvin
Committees: Campus Planning and Sustainability Committee, Safety and Security Committee, Senate Communications Committee
Year: Junior| Major(s): Nursing
Campus Involvement: National Society of Collegiate Scholars
Lindsay Condon
Committees: Library Committee, SUAC, SDState Health Committee, WCAC
Year: Junior | Major(s): Nursing
Campus Involvement: Admissions Ambassador
Senators for the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health
Senators for the Graduate School
Senators At-Large
Carter Howell
Committees: Intercollegiate Athletics Board Committee, Government Affairs Committee, Safety & Security Committee.
Year: Junior | Major(s): Agricultural Business and Business Economics
Campus Involvement: Admissions Ambassador, CAFES Ambassador, Investment Club, F.I.R.E. Club, Block & Bridle, Collegiate Cattlemen’s Club, Brown Hall Government
Grady O'Neill
Committees: Finance Committee, Senate Communications Committee, Integrated Marketing & Communications
Year: Senior | Major(s): Architecture
Campus Involvement: SigEp and holds positions such as event coordinater, balanced man scholarship, hobo days coordinator and brotherhood event coordination; VP of men's soccer club; VP of AIAS
Hallie Kueter
Committees: Strategic Internal Communications Committee, and Safety and Security Committee
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Human Biology and Psychology
Campus Involvement: State-A-Thon, Support Desk, Honors College and AMSA Pre-pro
Olivia Schanzenbach
Committees: Government Affairs Committee, Senate Communications Committee, Library Committee
Year: Senior | Major(s): N/A
Campus Involvement: N/A
Esther Illunga
Committees: Government Affairs Committee, Safety and Security Committee, Student Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Criminology
Campus Involvement: UPC, SELF, Honors, BSA
Avery Dooley
Committees: N/A
Year: Junior | Major(s): Chemistry and Bio Chemistry
Campus Involvement: N/A
Claire Koenecke
Committees: Safety & Security, Government Affairs and Senate Communications
Year: Sophomore| Major(s): English and Political Science
Campus Involvement: Honors College, Taylor Swift Society and English Club
Grace Barnett
Committees: N/A
Year: Freshmen | Major(s): Nursing
Campus Involvement: N/A
Kathrerine Pfiefle
Committees: N/A
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Civil Engineering
Campus Involvement: ;N/A
Become a Students' Association Senator
Elections for Students' Association senators and the student body president and vice president are held in March. Petitions for the election generally become available in February. In order to run in the senatorial election, a student must file an application and petition including signatures from at least 50 students in their academic college (25 signatures for senatorial candidates from the Graduate School). Information about Students' Association elections will be available in the Rabbit Report leading up to the election and on the Students' Association website.
Occasionally, Senate seats will become vacant during the academic year. In these cases, seats will be filled by Senators-At-Large appointed by the Students' Association Board of Directors. Senator-At-Large candidates must file an application and petition including signatures from at least 50 SDSU students regardless of their academic college. When Senator-At-Large positions are open, information will be included in the Rabbit Report and the Students' Association website.