Benjamin Adam Catching
Graduate Division – Third Year Student

UCSF is unique for not only its quality of research and healing, but for its place in the University of California system. As part of the UC system, all the schools, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Denistry, Physical Therapy, and the Graduate Division, must come together to  communicate the needs of the graduate and professional students to the UC Regents, UC Office of the President (UCOP), and the California legislature. Over the last two years as the GPSA’s Vice President of External Affairs, Graduate Representative, I have worked the respective Professional Representatives to convey a clear message of the primary issues affecting UCSF students; affordable housing, basic needs such as food security, professional guidance with an emphasis on high quality mentorship, mental health and wellness, and diversity among faculty and students. Through this position’s subsequent spot on the UC Graduate and Professional Council (UCGPC), the umbrella advocacy group for graduate and professional students, UCSF has been represented at meetings with the UC Regents and UCOP. From this experience I believe I am the best candidate for GPSA President. GPSA needs leadership that builds upon the work that has been put in these last few years. As President I would ensure that GPSA is a more cohesive organization that represents all viewpoints from all the schools. I would also attend as many student government meetings from all the different schools to make sure GPSA is correctly synthesizing the many perspectives into one clear voice. My name is Benjamin Adam Catching and I would appreciate your vote for President.

Liesl Piccolo
School of Nursing – First Year Student

Hi, and thanks for taking the time to read my candidate statement. I am running for the GPSA’s Vice President of Finance. I am running because I want to be more involved in the greater UCSF community and because the VP of Finance represents the GPSA (and therefore our student body) in financial dealings with the University, including representation on student fees. I think this is an important area that affects us all and I believe an informed, thoughtful person in this position can help prevent unnecessary fee increases and keep our already extraordinarily expensive educations just a little less hard to bear.

I come from a background as a financial consultant for small businesses in the Bay Area and am comfortable with the language of finance including preparing and reading financial statements, generating forecasts, and creating and analyzing budgets. It is, admittedly, not be a very exciting thing to be good at, but I am very good at it. I also know how to talk about finances in a way that normal people can understand. I believe transparency in financial matters is really important.

My goals, if elected, are to make sure our student dollars are being used in a way that is representative of the interests of our student population, not the University, or even the GPSA. I also want to learn more from current students about how the GPSA can better serve them and make sure our budget is reflective of those needs. It is also my goal to ensure, in collaboration with the rest of the Executive Council, that the GPSA rejects any proposed increases in student fees.

I am from Oakland, born and raised. I completed my first two years of college in the Peralta community colleges and then transferred to UC Berkeley as a Junior, where I received my BA. I am a stepparent and foster parent and still live in Oakland with my husband, our kids, a dog, and a cat. I am a Licensed Midwife and spent 14 years attending births before starting school at UCSF. I’m at UCSF pursuing a MSN in Family Practice and hope to work in Street Medicine after graduation.

I would love to be your representative and convey your voice regarding financial needs and priorities to the GPSA. Thanks for reading!

Merva Razzak
School of Dentistry – Third Year Student

My name is Merva Razzak, I am a current 3rd year dental student, and I am running to be your VP of Diversity of Affairs for the 2020 - 2021 academic year. I am the current VP of Diversity Affairs for GPSA and have had the absolute best time planning and executing events for the student body. From working with IDEA to host the 3rd Annual Diversity Forum to holding the Cultural Night, it has been a pleasure to see the diversity within our campus come to life. At a university like UCSF, where we not only have a much smaller student body compared to other University of California campuses, or just other campuses in general, it is imperative we work on making everyone feel included. A mentor of mine illustrated diversity with an example relating to a social gathering: diversity is having people from different backgrounds present at the party, inclusion is inviting everyone to dance at the party, and belonging is enabling all individuals to dance like nobody's watching.

As the VP of Diversity Affairs next year, I hope to expand further on the aforementioned events so that they foster a sense of belonging for our diverse student population. Not only would I like to institutionalize the Diversity Forum and Cultural Night, but I would also love to add more events that promote interprofessionalism such as speaker-based events which would incorporate individuals who were once students of color at UCSF. Hearing from their experiences and understanding the pathway(s) they took to get where they are now would be invaluable, especially for those students who come from first-generation backgrounds.

Furthermore, I plan on collaborating with the other offices, such as the External Vice President’s office (which is often in connection with the other UC campuses), in order to expand the reach of the VP of Diversity Affairs. Understanding how other campuses promote diversity will be an effective way of scaling it to events and resources for UCSF students.

It would be nothing short of a privilege to represent the ever-growing diversity at UCSF.

Kristine Jermakian
School of Pharmacy – Third Year Student

My name is Kristine Jermakian and I am a third year pharmacy student running for the position of Vice President of External Affairs for the next academic school year. I believe that this role will allow me to vocalize the needs and views of our student population.

While I pursued my undergraduate degree at UC Irvine, I served as External Vice President. I excelled at working with graduate and professional students and was able to foster relationships across campuses. I learned that collaboration and communication is vital – whether it be between students, faculty, administration, or UCOP.

Some notable experiences that helped me gain a greater understanding of the needs of professional students include my participation with the Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee for School of Pharmacy; writing policy for local pharmacy organizations; and being an Admissions Committee Board Member. Although much of my experience has been within the School of Pharmacy, I am committed to ensuring that each professional school will have a voice. I hope to join GPSA to advocate for students and strengthen the community at UCSF.

The Vice President of External Affairs office has the responsibility of hearing from students and assisting them in solving issues. My vision is to amplify the student voice and provide resources to empower students. My goals include:

1. Advocating for the increase of Cost of Living Supplement and pushing for greater affordable housing options for students: For a high-priced housing market like San Francisco, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find affordable housing. Providing more housing opportunities facilitated by the school is one way that students can feel greater relief while attending their programs.
2. Continuing to advocate for policies that nurture and provide resources: The UC took the stance last year to defend DACA students – which was an important statement in ensuring that underrepresented communities are protected. As Vice President, I will push for UCSF to continue to advocate for students and ensure accessibility. Students are the first priority in higher education, and each student deserves to feel that the university provides the proper safety for them.
3. Keeping our University accountable and transparent: This past year, there was a proposed partnership expansion between UCSF and Dignity Health. Several students were concerned with this partnership expansion. They deserve to be actively included in these discussions – especially when it pertains to our services, patients, education, and our values. I am committed to ensuring that students are present and included in these conversations.

I believe that I have the tools to advocate on behalf of students. I will prioritize the students’ needs and thus make UCSF a better campus. I am committed to uplifting student voices so that their issues are heard. Lastly, I am passionate about finding solutions to improve our campus community. All of us have unique concerns and we all deserve to have them heard.

Thank you and I hope you consider voting for me to serve as your External Affairs Vice President.

Miriam Goldman
Graduate Division – Second Year Student

My name is Miriam Goldman, I am a second year BMI student and I would like to serve as your External VP. I am running for External VP because I believe that our student voice should matter not just at an institutional level, but also in the political sphere; I want to help amplify the needs of graduate students in the local, state, and national legislative bodies. I have performed a similar role in my undergraduate institution as head of the student board of advisors to the dean, which involved retrieving input from students, communicating to the deans of ASU, and enacting plans. In addition to understanding and lobbying for student-first policies at the Arizona state legislature. If I am elected my goal is to really tap into what the student body wants through surveys, events, and speaking to as many students as possible, in order to ensure UCSF’s values are the values of its students.