Meet USC’s Next Student Body President: Edwin Saucedo

By Edwin Saucedo

Hi there!

I am Edwin, and I will be serving you as your 2016-2017 Student Body President. I want to thank you in advance for checking out my blog post and hope I don’t bore you before you reach the end (lol). Over the next year I am looking forward to sharing with you a little bit about Austin and me, the work that our student government is doing, and any thoughts or tips that we may have throughout the year.

To give you a little background on myself, I am a Junior studying Political Science and Sustainable Planning. I grew up in Houston, TX but moved to South Gate, CA in 8th grade where I finished middle school and high school. I have two younger siblings who mean the world to me and last but not least, I LOVE food. I probably eat out way too much, but one of my favorite hobbies is discovering different restaurants around Los Angeles with my friends.

I can go into deeper details about my personal life, but what I really wanted to share for my first blog post was why I ran for president. You see, over the last year our student government has really focused on the question: “What is your why?” When Austin and I decided to run for office, we constantly asked ourselves, “Why?”

Last night I was inaugurated as President for the upcoming school year. It was such a surreal moment for me and as I was giving my inaugural address, I couldn’t help but get a knot on my throat as I spoke towards my parents in the audience. Here is my inaugural address and my why:

“I remember last October when I nervously approached Austin asking him about his future plans in the organization. I talked extensively about irrelevant things, being too nervous to pop the question. It wasn’t until he asked why we were really meeting that I was able to ask him to be my running-mate and future Vice-President.

That was the first time it all became real. As a freshman, I never pictured running for president to be a feasible goal or something that was meant for people like me. As the first in my family to go to college I first needed to prove that I could graduate and get good grades before worrying about getting involved. The reality of things was that people in higher office at this university often came from affluent backgrounds, something I cannot relate to.

Throughout my tenure in USG, I have been surrounded by individuals who passionately fight for underrepresented student voices and work extensively to create the best undergraduate experience for all students. This is why I ran for president. Through USG we have the ability to advocate for all communities on campus, to shape their experience at USC, and fight for students who cannot fight for themselves.

Over the next year I hope to continue the advocacy efforts and movements that were ignited this year around campus climate, college affordability, and mental health. We cannot let the flame die on these important topics that were brought up by the current administration. At the same time, Austin and I also plan to take on our own set of initiatives as well. We want to ensure that students don’t face financial barriers in their efforts to get involved on campus, that USC is at the forefront of sustainability initiatives, and that we are actively opening our student government to students to share their experience and what can be improved.

This year we saw waves of student activism and movements that in the past were unheard of at this campus. We want to ensure that Austin and I’s administration is proactive in inviting these students to tell us about their causes so that we are not advocating for them but alongside them.

Before I wrap up I want to thank Rini and Jordan. Last spring they gave me the opportunity to serve on their Executive Team, believed in me and pushed me to reach new heights since day one. It was an honor to serve under their administration and I am constantly amazed by everything they were able to accomplish.

I want to end with one of my favorite quotes by Steve Jobs: “Those who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” This moment started with a crazy thought that maybe I could be president. It is incredible to be here before you all tonight making this a reality. I am excited for the year to come and hope that we can continue igniting change and making a difference to create a better USC for all students. It is an honor to serve you as your 2016-2017 Student Body President.”

(Photos courtesy of USC’s Daily Trojan)

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