President
Daphne Scott-Henderson
Sukhmanpreet Kaur

VP of External Affairs - prof rep
Claire Ogee-Nwankwo

Leila Lu
School of Pharmacy
Third Year

My name is Leila Lu, and I am currently a third-year pharmacy student running for the position of Vice President of Internal Affairs. I am looking to run for this position because I am passionate about serving the best interests of all students at UCSF and I am excited to support the student body in working on expanding and strengthening student events and interprofessional interactions.    

I am committed to advocate for student interests including the well-being and health of the UCSF student body. In acting as the liaison between the student body and administrators, I will work on increasing the sense of community at UCSF as well as incorporating multiple initiatives to help support the education and advocacy of students. My goals for the upcoming year include, but are not limited to, prioritizing expansion of student events as well as supporting innovative and inclusive scholarship and teaching so that diversity, equity, and inclusion can be foundational aspects within our UCSF community. I hope to create programming that is inclusive and welcoming towards all students from all unique backgrounds and hope to establish resources that can be provided to keep all students well-informed regarding campus affairs. I would also like to create more opportunities with RCOs, host panel discussions to highlight underrepresented health professionals and provide interprofessional advisors that can help support students with mentorship as well as in strengthening an inclusive and empathetic educational community. I am committed to support our student body in whatever challenges that may come our way, whether they be academic, housing, food security, or healthcare related. 

As Vice President of Internal Affairs, I will advocate, serve, and represent the UCSF student body in encouraging diverse collaboration and expanding university outreach. I believe together as a community UCSF can actively work to ensure that all students have a supportive educational environment. Thank you for your consideration and I hope to be working with you all in this next year!

Sanjana Mulugund
School of Dentistry
Third Year

Reasons to run for the position:
To foster diversity in the community and to help create a more inclusive campus community. An inclusive community is one that welcomes people of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities (or expressions of identity) serves as a catalyst for learning. To make sure UCSF community feel included irrespective of all nationalities, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses, cultural backgrounds, religions, abilities or disabilities, ages, and others who bring varied perspectives to campus.
Goals:

• Covid has created more barriers in communication and made it difficult to feel involved in the community especially for new students. Hence, activities will be undertaken or strengthened to link the University with ethnically diverse school districts, increase students’ academic motivation and skills through long-term involvement in collaborative University programs, and familiarize students with the University’s opportunities and resources through on-campus/virtual programs.
• To facilitate a positive transition to campus, academic-advising services will be provided to new students.
• Strategies to foster a positive and supportive campus community will include opportunities for dialogue, education, cultural enrichment, and for sharing information and addressing concerns about the climate for diversity on campus.
• Enhance student success by addressing physical and emotional well-being of students through enhanced culturally responsive education and prevention interventions, with particular emphasis on mental health and health promotion.

Daphne Scott-Henderson
School of Nursing
First Year

Colin Powell once said, “Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate, and doubt of offer a solution everybody can understand.” As a Toastmasters International certified ‘Competent Communicator’, I see myself as a natural leader and orator. I love to give presentations, facilitate discussions, and to interact with an audience or group. My leadership style is unapologetically transformational. For what is a leader if not an empowering presence, a maker of leaders? The greatest achievement of any good leader should be to empower and help hone another’s leadership skills.   

I would be honored to serve in the Graduate and Professional Student Council as President. As a nursing doctoral student, my passions, interests, and research all revolve around empowerment, reducing disparities and increasing diversity- in healthcare and beyond, and uplifting all communities. I have been very fortunate in both my career and my academic paths, in that I always had family support, and financial and social assistance from many sources. However, as a part-time leadership coach with Healing Circle Coaching (Santa Cruz), I have encountered and assisted many young professionals and aspiring grad students who are navigating professional and academic waters sans support, sans guidance and sans mentorship (Until they meet me, of course.) I want to continue to be a resource for students who need a helping hand, an advocate, or simply an empathetic ear.

Thank you for your consideration of me for your President, to serve and to empower.

Woodger Faugas
School of Medicine
First Year

As a detail-oriented individual —as well as a former representative of vulnerable investors before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; ex-teacher; and -nonprofit founder —I’d like to be humbly considered for the “Vice-President of Finance” (VP) position.

As VP, I’d work my hardest to carry out effective budget preparation, while effectively representing the GPSA in financial dealings —by drawing on:

1. my varied, and tested, leadership know-how (gained through teaching, leadership training, and years of professional experiences, in law, secondary school education, and comprehensive nonprofit management); and
2. a hearty embrace of and commitment to compliantly supervising GPSA fund allocation and use.

Please consider my belief in under-promising, and over-delivering.

Also, thank you for your outcome-shaping vote —in helping to create a UCSF/GPSA future defined by empathy and partnership!

Thank you for being you!!

Sukhmanpreet Kaur
School of Pharmacy
Second Year

My name is Sukhmanpreet Kaur (Sukh) and I am excited to be running for your President. This role would allow me to have an extensive student outreach capacity which will help me advocate for all of you. I will continue adding my contribution in making UCSF a fair, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all.

I duly understand that this position comes with important responsibilities and skills which I have been fortunate enough to hone through my leadership experiences. Since starting UCSF, I have served as an ambassador for Campus Advocacy and Resources Education (CARE) program. CARE has allowed me to understand the impact that a small group of like-minded interprofessional students can make on a much bigger institution. I did this by coordinating an elective that advocates for the inclusion of trauma-informed care in various healthcare settings. My position as the Wellness Representative for the School of Pharmacy helped me understand the value of good mental and physical health among students. I co-founded the “Quarantine Buddy” program to help establish caring connections between students who are otherwise isolated due to the pandemic. My volunteering experiences in multiple healthcare facilities during the heights of COVID have instilled in me the virtues of adaptability, self-motivation, and perseverance.

Being the first in my family to attend college in the US, I understand the value of equity in all educational opportunities. I will utilize the resilience I have gained as a first-generation immigrant to create a supportive and nurturing environment for each member of the UCSF community. As a newcomer, the various life challenges I have faced will allow me to showcase a high level of dedication and work ethic that was instilled in me. With this position, I will be able to take a progressive step towards the necessary changes needed to benefit the student population while serving as an approachable liaison with the UC administration.

Some of my future goals include but are not limited to:

1. The pandemic has affected the social, personal, and educational aspects of student life adversely. I aspire to rebalance these aspects by advocating for the advancement of community building services provided to students while keeping safety regulations in mind. I particularly believe that our world experiences are vital to excel in the academic environment at UCSF.
2. I will advocate for the continuation of GPSA COVID-19 student awards and expansion of student service program qualifications at UCSF like Basic Needs and Food Security program, Lyft Ride passes, meal vouchers among others.
3. Increasing transparency between UCSF administration and the student body in regards to zoom learning, academic/ research opportunities, tuition, housing, scholarships, and important social issues among other topics. I will achieve this by advocating to highlight these issues more frequently in university forums.

In conclusion, I will work hard to incorporate everyone’s ideas and maximize the potential of our student body. Thank you for considering my application to serve as your President.

Claire Ogee-Nwankwo
School of Nursing
First Year

My name is Claire Ogee-Nwankwo and I am running for the office of the Vice President of External Affairs  – Graduate Representative. I will be a first year Master’s student in the School of Nursing and I strongly believe in advocating issues that directly and indirectly affect student learning and our UCSF community with external agents – Regents, city and state, etc.

I am passionate about the office of the Vice President of External Affairs. I held the same position during my undergraduate years at Kennesaw State University (KSU) in Kennesaw, GA. During my term, I represented KSU at the state level where I spoke to the Georgia Assembly against a bill to increase college tuition. Along with representatives from other institutions across the state, we staged a collective action on the Capital stairs against the proposed tuition increase. The outcome was favorable, and the state rescinded its bill. I also participated in many campus-wide activities and organized our annual community fundraiser for our campus food pantry.

I plan bring my passion for advocacy, to the UCSF community and contribute in a meaningful way towards the betterment and growth of this Institution. A few of my goals, if elected, will be to work with our leaders and city to improve issues on housing, transportation, financial aid, and expanding our virtual learning environment. I believe that improvements on these issues will lessen a lot of student burdens and make our institution more attractive to future enrollees.