After campaigning for two weeks, junior accounting major Jhosuet Esten won the election securing the position of SA President. Running unopposed, sophomore business management major Kenneth Bautista and junior biology research major Marie Rodriguez have also been confirmed as Executive Vice President and Social Vice President, respectively.
Esten received 56.8% of the votes, beating his opponent junior theology major Juan Grajales who landed 43.2% of the votes. On his platform, Esten proposed creating a new website that showcases ongoing campus projects and a platform for students to voice their opinions.
“[Now] we get straight to work,” Esten said. “We try to implement the roles we have in mind — implement the new ideas. … Come next year, I want to improve Southern in the time that I have as president.”
Bautista secured 95.57% of the votes. His platform included the Lift Off initiative to help entrepreneur students start off their businesses. Bautista says he is looking forward to serving the student body.
“I’m very excited and I feel like I’m ready to start a new year!” Bautista said.
Proposing a music festival, Lantern Festival and DuckCon — an event inspired by Comic-Con — Rodriguez earned 93.89% of the votes. Rodriguez now plans to make the best events that she can for the student body.
“I feel very blessed that I’m able to receive this opportunity, and that the students at Southern gifted me this opportunity to be the Social Vice President,” Rodriguez said. “From now on, my plans are just to make the best events that I can for [students].”
Current SA President Sheryl Kambuni called the three candidates separately to inform them that they won the election. In total, 949 students voted.
