For the past three years, the junior writing, literature and publishing major had her eyes set on a position with the Student Government Association (SGA).
Patrick has run for SGA five times in her three years at Emerson
The persistence paid off, and Patrick won the position of Senator for the Class of 2007 last year, and Writing, Literature and Publishing (WLP) Senator this year.,Emily Patrick knows what she wants.
For the past three years, the junior writing, literature and publishing major had her eyes set on a position with the Student Government Association (SGA).
Patrick has run for SGA five times in her three years at Emerson
The persistence paid off, and Patrick won the position of Senator for the Class of 2007 last year, and Writing, Literature and Publishing (WLP) Senator this year.
Patrick started running in December 2003 during her freshman year and hasn’t stopped since.
She was involved in her high school student government and found the experience to be so rewarding that she said she wanted to continue participating in college.
“We have a lot of fun and the people involved are always great people,” she said. “Once I find something I like, I keep at it.”
Patrick’s losses did not stunt her enthusiasm. She felt that SGA was an organization that brought a lot to a school.
“SGA is such an important organization and I feel like not that many students know about the work that’s being done,” she said.
When elected to SGA, Patrick had many ideas to bring to the table, including the creation of a newsletter for her class, generating a monthly community service network and planning a Class of 2007 trip.
Many of her goals were reached, including the newsletter and a trip to Montreal for the class last year.
This year, Patrick ran for and won the position of Writing, Literature and Publising Senator in last semester’s special election, after former senator Samantha McAfee graduated.
McAfee, who had held the position for a year and a half, was in contact with Patrick when they were both in SGA.
“I wanted to continue initiatives she began,” Patrick said. “I’m a WLP major, so these things are important to me.”
These programs include working with the school to get more print credits for students.
At the beginning of every semester, each student is afforded $5 in credits for use in the library and other printing stations on campus.
However, after doing research, McAfee and Patrick found that this amount was considerably lower than other schools, and Patrick has been working to set up appointments with school officials to share research and attempt to raise the credit amount.
As for her goals this semester, Patrick is working on two.
The first is bringing an Emerson alumnus who works in the field of editing or publishing to talk about the ins and outs of working in that industry.
Patrick’s other hope is to create a launch party for all of Emerson’s literary magazines, to allow them to debut their spring issues together.
She said she hopes this will help students to learn about all of the magazines and what each has to offer. For Patrick, it’s not only about what she can give to SGA, but all the things the organization gives her, as well.
“It teaches so many things you can use later in your life,” she said. “Managing, whether it is money, time or resources, is a huge part of SGA. I’ve learned to work in a group and work with a budget. I am constantly learning new and different ways to do things.”
Patrick plans to run for office again next year, though she is not sure which position she is interested in holding. Despite her enduring commitment to SGA, Patrick is also involved in many other activities on campus.
She is also president of the Off Campus Network, a member of the Undergraduate Writer’s Network, a part of the community service group Imagine Students Reaching Out and is pledging Kappa Gamma Chi. She’s still unsure about what her plans are for after she graduates next year, but she has big ambitions.
“I would love to write for a baseball team,” she said. “Or write the next great American novel. That’d be pretty good too.”