ASB Participants 4

2019 Government Relations Network Alternative Spring Break Advocacy and Leadership Conference

Over spring break, 65 Miami University students and Miami University’s President will participate in the Government Relations Network Alternative Spring Break Advocacy and Leadership Conference. During the Conference, students will meet with members of the Ohio Congressional Delegation and members of the Ohio General Assembly. In these meetings, students will advocate for higher education and Miami University by sharing their own Miami experiences with members and staff. Students will present to members and staff undergraduate research and experiential learning opportunities that they have engaged in at two poster sessions, one on Capitol Hill and the other at the Ohio Statehouse. Students will also hear from state and federal policymakers on leadership, citizenship, and advocacy.

Here’s a look at a few of our participants.

 

Adriana Joson
Senior, josonae@miamioh.edu
Major: Biological Physics
Hometown: Dayton, OH 45419
Campus Involvement:

● Member of Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP)

Why Miami: I was lucky enough to be part of a program for underrepresented minorities in STEM, LSAMP, that provided me with many opportunities. There was a peer mentor program for LSAMP where I was paired with an upperclassman who happened to attend Miami, she helped me understand Miami and the idiosyncrasies of the university. I applied to Miami as a backup school because I still preferred to stay close to home. I finally decided to choose Miami because of the focus on undergraduates, I didn’t want to feel like a number at a state university but I didn’t have the means for a smaller private college.

U.S. Congressional Member: Michael Turner
Ohio Senator: Peggy Lehner
Ohio House Representative: Fred Strahorn

 

Max Leveridge
Second Year Masters, leverimc@miamioh.edu
Master’s: Master of Environmental Science: concentration in Conservation Biology
Certificate: Geographic Information Systems
Hometown: Dublin, Ohio 43017
Campus Involvement:

  • CAS Dean’s Student Advisory Committee
  • Undergraduate Research Committee
  • University Sustainability Committee
  • National Association for Environmental Professionals
  • Associated Student Government Infrastructure & Sustainability Committee
  • Transfer Peer Connectors student advisor

Why Miami: I saw that Miami students were some of the kindest people I would ever meet. There was a sense of community you felt by being on campus that nothing online or in the recruitment mail could begin to show. Everything about the tours just gave me a sense of home. I knew Miami was the perfect place to spend my next four years.

U.S. Congressional Member: Troy Balderson
Ohio Senator: Stephanie Kunze
Ohio House Member: Beth Liston

 

Lauren Elliott
Senior, elliotl3@miamioh.edu
Major: Public Administration & Classical Languages
Hometown: Columbus, OH 43209
Campus Involvement:

  • President of the Miami University National Black Law Student Association: Pre-Law Chapter (NBLSA)
  • Moderator/Organizer for Miami University’s Women in Law and Leadership Symposium (WILL)
  • University Academic Scholars Program – Law and Public Policy Scholars
  • Ambassador for the College of Arts and Science – College Ambassador Program

Why Miami: I was thoroughly impressed by the hospitality and the genuine interest in student learning shown by the professors. After my official visit, I applied and was accepted into the Bridges Program for Diversity which is a 2-day, 1-night trip that solidified my decision to attend Miami University. Miami’s generous financial aid package was also a factor in my final decision.

U.S. Congressional Member: Joyce Beatty
Ohio Senator: Hearcel F. Craig
Ohio House Member: Erica C. Crawley