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Students' Association Senators

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

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

CONTACT SA PRESIDENT


Hayden Bentz

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

CONTACT SA VICE PRESIDENT


Benjamin O'Connor

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

CONTACT SA CHIEF OF STAFF


Finance Chair

Katie Neauhaus

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

CONTACT SA FINANCE


Government Affairs Chair

Michael Garofalo

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

CONTACT SA GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS


Communications Chair

Hannah Dayaget

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.

CONTACT SA COMMUNICATIONS


Asledi Castillo

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

CONTACT SA DIVERSITY Chair

Senators for the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences

Tyler Rasmussen

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

CONTACT SENATOR RASMUSSEN

Wesley Siira

Wesley Siira

Committees: Finance Committee, Safety & Security Committee, Parking and Trafficking Committee

Year: Sophomore | Major(s): N/A

Campus Involvement: N/A

CONTACT SENATOR SIIRA

Grace Peterson

Grace Peterson

Committees: Finance Committee, Senate Communications Committee, Student Union Advisory Committee and UFSAC

Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Agricultural Business

Campus Involvement:

CONTACT SENATOR PETERSON

Kaitlyn Lorang

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

CONTACT SENATOR Lorang

Senators for the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Madeline Brink

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

CONTACT SENATOR Brink

Senators for the College of Education and Human Services

Senators for the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering

Grant Sternhagen

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

CONTACT SENATOR STERNHAGEN

Senators for the College of Natural Sciences

Victoria Vazquez

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

CONTACT SENATOR vazquez

Mara Andersen

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

CONTACT SENATOR ANDERSEN

Senators for the College of Nursing

Rylee Sabo

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

Contact Senator Sabo

  

Ellie Ulvin

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

Contact Senator ulvin

  

Lindsay Condon

Lindsay Condon

Committees: Library Committee, SUAC, SDState Health Committee, WCAC

Year: Junior | Major(s): Nursing

Campus Involvement: Admissions Ambassador

Contact Senator condon

Senators for the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health

Senators for the Graduate School

Senators At-Large

Carter Howell

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

CONTACT SENATOR Howell

Grady O'Neill

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

CONTACT SENATOR O'niell

Hallie Kueter

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

CONTACT SENATOR Kueter

Olivia Schanzenbach

Committees: Government Affairs Committee, Senate Communications Committee, Library Committee

Year: Senior | Major(s): N/A

Campus Involvement: N/A

CONTACT SENATOR schanzenbach

Cory Illunga

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

CONTACT SENATOR illunga

Avery Dooley

Avery Dooley

Committees: N/A

Year: Junior | Major(s): Chemistry and Bio Chemistry

Campus Involvement: N/A

CONTACT SENATOR dooley

Claire Koenecke

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

CONTACT SENATOR KOENECKE

Grace Barnett

Grace Barnett

Committees: N/A

Year: Freshmen | Major(s): Nursing

Campus Involvement: N/A

CONTACT SENATE barnett

  

Katherine Pfiefle

Kathrerine Pfiefle

Committees: N/A

Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Civil Engineering

Campus Involvement: ;N/A

CONTACT SENATE Pfiefle


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.

Learn More About How to Become a Senator