From Volunteer to Cabinet: My Journey in Sustainability and Student Government at FSU

Over the past year, I had the pleasure of serving as the Secretary of Sustainability in the Executive Cabinet of the Boisvert-Benn-King administration of FSU’s Student Government Association (SGA). Throughout my experience in this role, I was honored to work with the incredible Sustainable Campus team to advance sustainability initiatives across campus and within the SGA. 

The Student Government Association at FSU is a student-run, student-serving organization authorized by Florida Statutes. We represent every area of campus through our various branches, agencies, and projects, and we oversee the allocation of almost fifteen million dollars directly supporting the student body and FSU’s campus. The SGA space is full of inspiring students who are determined to make positive impacts across our university. 

I first got involved with the SGA through the legislative branch after I was elected to a College of Arts and Sciences Seat in the Student Senate during the Spring of my freshman year. I was motivated to get involved because I wanted to give back to a university that had invested so much in me. Looking upon any institution with love means working toward its continued improvement, and the SGA provides students with a way to make a tangible impact on campus. 

Before I was elected to the Senate, I began my involvement with Sustainable Campus through volunteering during my first month of college. I believe that collective action at the individual and systemic levels is pertinent to the health of our ecosystems and the trajectories for human proliferation and joy. Taking part in sustainable action, therefore, was non-negotiable for me. 

Finding that I could combine my devotedness to the causes of sustainability with my work in the SGA was fulfilling and exciting. First, as the liaison to Sustainable Campus during my year in the Student Senate and then as the Secretary of Sustainability in the Executive Cabinet, my work in the SGA has been filled with projects to support and advance sustainability at FSU. 

Some of my most notable projects include: organizing the first annual Walk, Bike, & Bus to School Day, partnering with the Inter-Residence Hall Council (IRHC) to improve recycling literacy in residence halls, partnering with Sustainable Campus and the Wakulla Springs Lab to host a cross-campus trash cleanup for World Water Day, working toward the future establishment a Food Locker in partnership with the Food for Thought Pantry (FFTP), joining a partnership with universities across Florida through the Peer-to-Peer Campaign sponsored by the Florida Department of Transportation, overseeing the installation of a permanent food donation bin for the FFTP in Strozier library through a collaborative Senate project, and passing a resolution in Support of the Student Statement of Sustainability support. Beyond these projects, I have served as the sole student representative on the Faculty Senate Sustainability Committee, maintained the SGA Seminole Organic Garden Bed, and collaborated with senators and executive branch members extensively. Working on all of these initiatives and collaborative projects has deeply enriched my undergraduate experience through learning that is truly experiential. 

I highly encourage all FSU students to get involved on campus and in the greater Tallahassee community. Working in the SGA and Sustainable Campus spaces throughout the past three years has been nothing short of transformative, and I can’t wait for everything that awaits my final year at this incredible university. 

If you or anyone you know is interested in how you can get involved with the SGA, please do not hesitate to reach out! My email is ewindlan@fsu.edu.