“Hi, I’m Cara Luebke and I’m running for State Chair of the Minnesota State University Student Association (MSUSA).”

“Say, what?”

This is a pretty classic example of what I’ve been hearing. So I thought I’d take some time to write about it in order for students to learn about their advocacy organization.

MSUSA is the official advocacy organization for the Minnesota State Universities and Colleges system (MnSCU). Every student pays .42 cents per credit for a staff and students leaders to work for students. The State Chair is the spokesperson for the students and the organization. Sweet, right? You have a person, a team of people even, who consider your education, lives, and experiences as priority number one. They work daily to advocate for you. Seriously amazing! This is what inspires me to run for this position the State Chair position and I’d like to share the reasons I’m running for this position and the reasons why I’m not.

I’m not running for State Chair to continue the status quo and be satisfied with complacency. It’s time for the organization to create a new normal, with healthy conversations, due diligence, and invigorating participation. We can move forward by prioritizing letting go of the past, having courageous conversations, sharing and actively listening to new and innovative ideas. I am running for this position because I have experiences making positive changes within organizations, and I can bring this skill set to the State Chair position.

I’m not running for State Chair because it furthers my own personal agenda. This job is for the students, and therefore my agenda will be the ones that the students set for me. This doesn’t mean that I do not have a set of principles guiding my leadership; it means that my principles surround the betterment of all student experiences. Working together to create a positive, student-centered agenda will be a major priority as State Chair.

I believe in positivity. I believe my abilities to lead, and most importantly I believe in bettering the lives of students. And that’s why I’m running for State Chair.

If you’d like to contact me, support my campaign, view my resume, or talk about Parks and Recreation, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at [email protected]

Sincerely,

Cara Luebke