Well, this is it.
As crazy as it sounds, we’re at the end of the academic year, and as well as my term as SGA President.
Reflecting on this year, I’m filled with pride and gratitude. We were tested by local, national, and global challenges, and we focused on serving you, the student body. We started last summer by assembling our Internal Affairs team around three core values: transparency, engagement, and community. We wanted SGA to be a space where everyone felt welcome, and people came not just out of obligation, but out of enjoyment.
Our senators were energized and delivered incredible projects. Community Service Senator Hazel Fitzpatrick led book drives and bracelet-making events to support local elementary schoolers. Visual Media Arts Senator Carlson Jones worked with the department and advocated for tutorial videos for the Equipment Distribution Center. Boston Intercollegiate Government Representative Henry Jones, alongside Vice President Kayla Armbruster, brought Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley to campus to discuss the future of higher education. Senators spearheaded departmental mixers, drag shows, drives for menstrual health awareness, charity bowling nights, and more. This was one of the most mobilized Senates in recent years, and I am so proud of everyone for their commitment to their constituents.
And when it came to Internal Affairs, our team was equally engaged. Chief Justice Georgia Winn completely overhauled our constitution—removing redundancies and making governance smoother. Our marketing team, led by Josue Velazquez in the fall and Bry Hession in the spring, revived our social media presence through beautiful graphics, reposting student organizations, and posting fun ideas like dressing up for Halloween. Treasurer Oliver Katz and Vice Treasurer Angus Abercrombie continued stabilizing our finances with streamlined processes, while Secretary Olivia DeCesare kept everything running smoothly with detailed notes and time management.
Vice President Kayla Armbruster has been crucial to our biggest initiatives—extended hours in the Lion’s Den, outreach to student organizations, and our final initiative, Emerson Perks. She has been instrumental, and I wouldn’t be the president I am without her. All of this doesn’t even acknowledge our amazing advisor, Jenn Nival, who supported us every step of the way. A president is only as strong as their team, and I am so blessed to have had the best team of colleagues, friends and people I could’ve ever asked for.
Recently, I’ve been asked if I would run for a second term if I wasn’t going abroad. My response was a confident “no.” Not because I dislike the job, but because I feel I’ve fulfilled my purpose. My presidency was focused on transition—a promise to rebuild SGA so it can advocate for students and reconnect with the community. I still have more ideas, but I believe we’ve built a solid foundation. Knowing how valuable this position is and how much it has taught me, I want more people to experience it. I have run my race, and now it’s time to step back so the next generation can take SGA even higher.
In his retirement speech, Peyton Manning said, “When someone thoroughly exhausts an experience, they can’t help but revere it.” In that vein, I revere SGA, and I will miss so much of it. I will miss my weekly meetings with Kayla in the Dining Hall—planning the week and laughing over our hundreds of overcommitments—and with Jenn, who saw me more than my suitemates did during the week.
I’ll miss budget meetings with Ollie and the Financial Advisory Board. I’ll miss speaking at freshman orientation, our oath ceremony and meeting with staff and administrators. I’ll miss the sleepless nights before our biggest moments. I’ll even miss debating nitpicky bylaws and procedures with Angus. I’ll miss working with senators like Karli Wallace, Christian Sullivan, Jazzy Compton and many more that can’t fit in one letter—who don’t receive nearly enough praise for their efforts. I will miss using our trusty gavel. (For the record, I only lost it once!) And I admit, I will miss being called “Mr. President.”
I know I haven’t been perfect. I’ve made mistakes. Dropped the ball. Been silent when I shouldn’t have. I certainly know that I haven’t pleased everyone. But please know that every decision, interaction, and thought has come from an unwavering commitment to serve you, the student body, with integrity, humility, and heart. Whether you knew me or not, I hope there was something we did this year that made your experience a little better, and I hope you felt seen and supported by our presence.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he could be, and he will become what he should be.” That’s what SGA did for me. When my good friend and former President Pranit Chand asked me to join SGA as his executive assistant during my freshman year, I never could’ve imagined where it would take me. The people I’ve met, experiences I’ve had and lessons I’ve learnt have shaped me into who I am today. If I could go back in time, I know I’d do it all over again.
As I prepare to leave SGA, Emerson, and Boston—a city I’ve called home for almost my entire life—I’m filled with bittersweet joy. My time here has been defined by many moments—being in SGA, co-hosting the ERA Awards, working at shows/channels like “The Box Score,” “The Boylston Report,” “Wow Me!,” and Emerson Channel Sports, and experiencing college with some of the most brilliant, passionate people I have ever met. I leave with my heart full and ambitions high. I have full confidence in President-elect Winn and Vice President-elect Abercrombie, alongside all our newly elected leaders, and trust that SGA is in good hands.
But before I pass the torch, I have one final request—please don’t stop caring. The work we’ve done and the culture we’ve built does not exist in isolation. It requires consistent, year-by-year reflection and iterating. SGA cannot and does not exist without you.
Lastly, thank you to The Berkeley Beacon. Thank you to Katie Cressman and Hannah Woods for diligently covering SGA meetings this year. To the whole opinion team—Ella Duggan, Merritt Hughes, Josie Arteaga, Bryan Liu, Rachel Choi, Charlie Williams, Adri Pray, and Hannah Nguyen (and of course, my brother, Jordan Pagkalinawan)—thank you for giving me the opportunity to start this column, and for turning my drafts into meaningful letters. Writing them has been such a pleasure, and it has helped me better articulate my thoughts on SGA and our vision. I hope it brought some clarity to what SGA does, and maybe even made you laugh sometimes. I hope this column continues as a symbol of our commitment to transparency and communication with the student body.
To every student who trusted me, worked with me, challenged me, or simply supported SGA—thank you. Serving as your president has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for trusting me. Good luck, and I hope we cross paths again.
Together, we always go in strength.
