Pictured Above: Julia Cunningham and Jillian Wilson pose in front of the USF St. Petersburg campus fountain.
Courtesy of Jillian Wilson
By Trevor Martindale
Julia Cunningham and Jillian Wilson were inspired to run for the two highest offices in Student Government on the belief that USF has “legitimate issues” and needs “remarkable change.”
Cunningham, a junior double majoring in political science and psychology, serves as a senator on the system-wide Senate, where she is the vice chair of the Ethics Committee. She also works as a lifeguard and as a congressional intern for Congresswoman Kathy Castor.
Cunningham said her leadership and SG experience provide her with the skills necessary to be president.
“As a senator and vice chair (of the Ethics Committee), I have been given a unique perspective into the issues facing our student body,” Cunningham said. “I have taken this perspective and applied it to my campaign. I listen to the needs of my constituents and am dedicated to doing everything in my power to help.”
Wilson, a junior biomedical science major with a minor in english, is also a senator in the system-wide Senate. Her other involvement includes working as a Student Organizations Project Assistant for the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, and volunteering at the Moffitt Cancer Center.
Wilson also believes her experiences will help her serve the student body.
“These extracurriculars have prepared me to become vice president because of my continued communication with the student body,” Wilson said. “I know how to connect with student organizations and I am a team player. As a senator, I have always wanted what is best for USF and the USF community.”
Cunningham and Wilson’s general platform entails addressing sexual violence on campus, advocating for minority groups, empowering student organizations, green energy and improving mental health services.
“(Addressing sexual violence) is an important issue to us because it has been swept under the rug by previous administrations,” Cunningham said.
Wilson said the ticket will advocate for minority students through “proactive committees.”
“These committees will be open to all students regardless of race, religion, gender, ethnicity or sexuality,” Wilson said. “We are open to discussions on how we can eliminate negative misconceptions from USF culture.”
The ticket’s environmental policy entails “(continuing) USF’s progress towards 100% green energy.”
As a psychology major, Cunningham is particularly passionate about improving mental health services on campus.
“This issue hits close to home,” she said. “I want my peers to feel emotionally supported on campus, especially during these unprecedented times.”
Although they are both Tampa students, Cunningham and Wilson plan on addressing issues faced by St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee students.
“We have heard from students that Sarasota-Manatee and St. Petersburg campuses do not have enough dining options,” Cunningham said. “By adding more fast food or dining options, I think it would make it easier for students to get food on-campus while heading to classes or extracurriculars instead of having to always go off-campus.”
Wilson added that the ticket will also focus on student employment across all campuses.
“We want to make sure that consolidation does not remove jobs from the St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses as departments merge,” Wilson said. “We will fight for student employment on these two campuses as St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee students deserve the same job opportunities as (students from) Tampa.”
For more information on Cunningham and Wilson’s campaign, visit their Instagram.
These young women seem very motivated and inspired to lead the USF student body forward in a positive direction . Best wishes for a rewarding and enthusiastic run for SG.