Every year Kansas State’s Student Governing Association welcomes students into its intern program and this year in particular, the program is designed to educate potential members on the different branches of SGA through informational sessions, committee rotations and mentorship.
One of these interns, Alan Hinds, sophomore in agricultural economics, said he has found his involvement in SGA so far through the intern program to be an effective way to engage in outreach between students and administration.
Before coming to K-State, Hinds dedicated his time to FFA, Student Council and Debate at Tonganoxie High School in addition to being a member of the American Quarter Horse Youth Association where he was an officer.
While there are many issues that K-State students might be dealing with, one initiative that Hinds said he is particularly concerned with is housing affordability and safety for students, both on and off campus.
Relatively new to SGA still, Hinds said one of his biggest challenges within SGA sof far has been learning to navigate the complexity of the system.
“Once you break it down it’s very simple to understand, but when you first step in and try to navigate the structure of the system, it’s complicated,” Hinds said. “But everyone is there to help you.”
Sadie Polson, one of the SGA intern coordinators and junior in marketing, said the intern program can be helpful place to start for students — like Hinds— looking to start their journey as a student leader.
“It’s the first time students who have a vision for what they want to do on campus become more educated for how they want to do that,” Polson said.
As an intern coordinator, Polson said it can be very rewarding to see students take initiative with issues that they are passionate about and eventually present legislation.
Jumping right in, Hinds was always engaged in intern meetings whether it was brainstorming initiatives or asking questions, Polson said.
“Working with SGA has taught me a lot about how students have a voice on campus,” Hinds said. “Everyone is interested in bettering the university [and] we’re able to learn about each other. By being able to have people with different backgrounds and experiences, we’re better able to serve the university.”
For anyone interested in SGA even a little bit, Hinds said he’d encourage them to attend an intern meeting, which are open to anyone, at the beginning of next semester and see if anything sparks their interest.
