COURTESY PHOTO ADRIANA WHITAKER
It’s not uncommon for students to go through their college careers without knowing what goes on behind the scenes. But the reason they’re able to do that is because of the hard work of their fellow students.
Adriana Whitaker is the Class of 2020 President; it is her third year in the role. She is a political science major with a dual minor in pre-law and peace & social justice.
Adriana also serves as the Vice Speaker of the Student Senate. On top of her two roles in the student government, she is a part of the Model United Nations and the PSU Democrats, the latter of which she is the secretary.
As the class president, she is responsible for fundraising and addressing constituency concerns. To do her job effectively, she holds bi-weekly meetings with her executive board (also known as Class Council).
At the bi-weekly meetings, she talks with the class council about upcoming events, constituent concerns, general issues facing the campus, and fundraising for the Class of 2020.
Adriana joined the Student Government for one simple reason: “I have always had a passion for giving a voice to those who don’t have one. Student government is a great way to do that,” she explained.
Adriana spent most of her childhood in Maine, but also spent time overseas. She explained, “I am adopted, and my mother is an immigrant, so I spent a lot of time growing up overseas in the Netherlands as a child.”
When she isn’t working for the Class of 2020, she enjoys spending time with her friends and engaging in activism projects in the community. She also has a passion for animals:
“My all-time favorite pastime is to be with animals. I have ten of my own and visit animal shelters frequently,” she said.
Adriana decided to enroll at PSU because of the campus environment. “Immediately I enjoyed the faculty in the Political Science department and saw plenty of opportunity for myself,” she explained.
Serving as a class president isn’t an easy task for anyone. College students are all so busy, it can be challenging to organize events and get enough students to participate.
During her time at PSU, Adriana has had plenty of time to learn some valuable lessons. In her opinion, the most important one is the need for people to be tolerant of one another. She said, “In order to achieve peaceful means, whether it be through something like implementing change through a policy or working with someone who doesn’t align the way you do, you simply can’t achieve anything without tolerance for one another. Diversity is so incredibly important, and I would never want to live in a world without it.”
Over her three years at PSU, Adriana has noticed some key changes. The one that stands out the most is student involvement. She said, “I see far more students approaching myself and other student leaders for help about an issue or just for general questions, quite frequently this semester compared to the past two years.”
When asked if there was anything she wanted her constituents to know, she said, “I would just want my constituents to know that the class council is here to serve them and their needs, that is primarily our responsibility and what I am here for.” She also hopes that she and her council are remembered as a voice for their constituents.
Adriana hasn’t made a firm decision on her path after graduation, but she is determined to pursue another degree. Until then, she plans to continue representing the Class of 2020 and getting more involved in activism. She also plans on running for president again next year.