BCCC’s Student Government Association (SGA), ran by the students, for the students, held their election for the executive board last spring, where students voted for their elected officials online.
The SGA’s mission statement on the ‘Clubs and Organization at Bucks’ page on the college’s website is that it “Represents the student body to the College Administration, faculty and Board of Trustees at Bucks County Community College. SGA supports clubs and organizations; promotes participation by the students on college committees and distributes and administers their portion of the college activities fee to clubs and organizations.”
While anyone can join SGA and get involved as council members, to hold a position on the executive board requires candidates to run for a position. The students of the college elect who they want to hold that position in office.This past spring, students elected Brian Deley as President, Shanzeh Khan as Vice President, Katie Chookagian as Secretary, and Anthony Consoli as Treasurer.
President Brian Deley is a social science major who wants to work in political science. He has attended Bucks County Community College for 3 years. The responsibilities of the president include representing the SGA and Student body, planning operations, running meetings, and much more. Deley is a facility manager for the county, an Eagle Scout, and was the Captain of his high school swim team with an undefeated season. He hopes to have inspired at least three people to run for president at the end of his term. He would also like to bring in 100 people inside the organization and complete 1 project that will help the student body long after his term. Deley believes that “without students, there would be no college. SGA is that voice [for students].” Deley also went on to say that “joining a club at Bucks is a necessity! SGA looks great on a resume.”
Vice President Shanzeh Khan is a Biology major, who aspires to work within Biomedical Sciences. She has attended BCCC for three years. The responsibilities of the Vice President include management within the executive board and assisting the President when needed. Khan started as a Student Involvement Councilor for SGA in 2016. She is also the current President of Bucks Muslim Student Association, Vice President of Bucks College Democrats, DJ host for Radio BUX, and publicity chair for National Society of Leadership and Success. Before college, she was a part of seven different clubs in high school, including Student Council and Yearbook. Her goals to accomplish with SGA this year is to create a comforting yet professional atmosphere for clubs that student will enjoy. “We were elected by the students, so we are here to represent them,” Khan said. “It’s super important for colleges to have clubs such as SGA,” he said. “With the inclusion of clubs, it really creates a homey atmosphere… [College feels less] like an educational institution. It’s a place where you can communicate with your friends, be involved with your community and express your leadership skills.” She believes students “should get involved with SGA as soon as possible. We always have some fun creative things in the works, and it’s a great way for a new student to learn all the resources currently at Bucks, as well as unleashing any leadership skills they are harboring within them.”
Secretary Katie Chookagian is a cinema major, hoping to go into video production. This is her third semester at BCCC. The secretary keeps meeting minutes & handles SGA communication.
Chookagian previously served as the Director of Events for SGA. In high school, she was an executive member of student council, as well as the President of HOSA [Health Occupations Students of America] & Secretary of Skills USA. Chookigan would like to extend the SGA influence in the school, to have better contact with the student body and get more students involved. “I basically just want everyone to know how awesome it is to get involved and actually be able to make a positive difference.” She goes on to describe why SGA is important to her: “Because of the friendships I made through it, there are so many amazing people I’ve met that I’ll keep contact with for the rest of my life, just by giving a few extra hours of my time to get involved in student life”. Chookagiansays, “If you’re looking into getting involved in SGA, I say 100% go for it! Not only is it a great experience and looks good on a resume, but the friendships and connections you make will stick with you beyond college. And on top of it all, you’ll have the opportunity and the resources to make a difference firsthand that will improve the school for every student.”
Treasurer Anthony Consoli is a Psychology major working towards eventually getting a PhD in Clinical Psychology. He has been
enrolled at Bucks for two and a half years. As treasurer of student government, he handles the finances and budgeting of student government, “generally keeping track of where money is going and making sure we have enough for events,” he said. He started as a general member and served a term as secretary in SGA. “I want to see a good transition from our administration to the next administration… I really want to teach whoever’s taking my place how to do the job correctly so that Student Government can continue on what we’ve been doing”.
He described SGA as “the voice of the students”. Consoli goes on to say “We also just do a lot to really enhance students’ experiences here”. Consoli also said to anyone considering joining SGA that it is “…a great place to practice leadership and network, but it’s also a good place to make friends.”