My name is Sarah Ann Hughes and I’m running for president of the Honors College Assembly. My vision for HCA is built on three pillars — create, connect, collaborate. Using HCA’s resources and energy, I will help students create unique committees and programs based on their own special passions and ideas. I will also help the branches of HCA connect to plan broad, diverse events to spark greater involvement. Finally, as an organization only in its second year, HCA is a fresh face on campus with the opportunity to build relationships with a variety of students in order to work toward a more unified campus community.

If elected, I will collaborate with others to cultivate relationships with student groups, student government, and any student supportive of this common ideal. Throughout my campaign, I have received immense encouragement from hundreds of Honors students who support this vision and have confidence in my ability to lead the Honors College Assembly in a positive direction.

My upbringing and background contribute greatly to my identity and my values, which will serve the HCA well if I am elected president. Growing up in the small town of Winfield, Alabama, I learned the importance of community and hard work. In Winfield, a town of only 5,000 people, it was difficult to go anywhere without seeing someone who I knew and could interact with. In the Honors College, it is the same way. I make an effort to connect personally with each student and faculty member I meet, regardless of mutual friends or resumé. My parents and community instilled in me the most important of all values that I hold — the value of doing the right thing. No matter the outcome, I take pride in my ability to make the right choice based on ideals and the ultimate consequences of a decision. My experiences in Honors College thus far have reassured me that this is a critical asset to possess as HCA President.

I am incredibly proud of the progress made by HCA in our first year. I have served as Event Coordinator for the Civic Engagement branch of Honors College Assembly for the entire year and I have been involved first hand in the execution of programs not only for Civic Engagement, but for all of HCA. I am passionate about continuing the growth of the Honors College Assembly and working with each and every student that desires to have a voice in their Honors College experience.

Since I arrived on campus nearly two years ago, the Honors College has been my home. I cannot count the hours I spend in Nott Hall with students and faculty, brainstorming, working, laughing — building relationships with those within the Honors College. I am committed to ensuring that every Honors student can have the same rewarding experience that I have had.

I am committed to that student in Honors College who hasn’t found her place on campus yet; the student whose only connection to the Honors College is his Honors courses; the student who feels like a shadow in a sea of faces.

As Honors College Assembly President, I will represent all of you. I am committed to working toward an HCA truly representative of the Honors College student population. Vote for me on Tuesday and Wednesday in Nott Hall and vote to move your Honors College Assembly forward.

Sarah Ann Hughes is a sophomore majoring in political science with a minor in Women’s studies, and a candidate for HCA president.