ENC SGA 2019 Spotlight: Ashley Prax, Director of Student Events

“My first goal is to build a support systems of students that want to be a part of planning the events and want to have their voices heard in two different ways. So there are students that really want to be involved with the planning, but then students just want to tell me their ideas. So I wanted it to be two levels where I’m in the cafeteria, I’m asking people, ‘what kind of events do you want to see?’ And if they want to help then taking them in into that deeper. But some people just want me to hear their voices and some people want to be helping hands. So I want to build that sense of team, and that I said in my chapel speech, these aren’t my events, they are not SGA events, but they are ENC’s events. And I can’t make them ENC’s events until I get the support from students wanting to help me plan and help me set up, help me clean up. And the underlining, I need students who give me their voices. If I don’t know what students want, then I can’t do what students want. Part of my goal with that is just being in the cafeteria with my notebook, writing down event ideas, taking them to my counsel, to my team, and saying, ‘what do you guys think? How can we do this?’ So just building that sense of community voice with the team.

I also want to help or build up commuter attendance. I know it is hard for some of them [commuters] to attend the events. They come to classes, and then they leave to work off-campus or there is not transportation in the evenings all the time. So I want to make sure that commuters have a ride to the T- station after the event or before the event, if they leave and then come back. So using the ENC shuttles and then after the event getting them dropped off at the North Quincy station so they don’t have to walk to Wolly station, take a bus. Cause it can already be late enough, but I want the commuters to feel like they are welcome. And also maybe if that means planning an event in the afternoon. I really want commuters to feel part of the community.

Third, I want the events to reflect the diversity of our campus. I know from going to events that not everyone is represented, and I want students to feel like they are represented, which would go back to the first goal. I want to partner with Robert Benjamin, to connect with the Intercultural Center, and do some cultural type of events where the whole student body feels like they are welcomed— not just students that are a part of that Intercultural Center. I really want every student to feel like they welcomed at the events, that they are invited. And if that means personally going up and inviting as many people as I can, then I would like to do that.”

“The last year I was a student chaplain, and my role was a lot more of planning chapel and the spiritual life part of campus. I think I really blossomed as a student leader. Freshman and sophomore years I had different areas of leadership, but student chaplain was where I got my first official title as a leader. And I think that being able to shift from one student group, where I worked a lot with our religion and culture students and our students in the chapel worship teams and branching out to the whole student body, not just what is going on in the spiritual development office but more of what is going on on campus and how can I be a listening ear to someone on campus who needs someone to talk to. But also how can I be friends with everyone and soaking in from this one department to the next what I’ve learned and how I can bring that and also how I can continue to personally grow. Events are very different than chapel. Events require a lot more planning and executing. So I think that it will help me grow, and it’s going to be a challenge, but I’m excited to learn the new dynamic of SGA. I’m excited to work with a team and everyone on Exec. I think we all bring something unique. So I can bring what I have done in spiritual development and other jobs on campus to my new role as SGA.”