Student Trustee

My name is Gent Haviari, and I am a junior Political Science and Philosophy double major that has worked on campus advocacy for my entire time at UMass Dartmouth. When I first arrived on campus, I knew that I wanted to get involved and help the community in any way I could. Since then, I have served on multiple leadership positions. I have been elected as President and Senator of the Class of 2025 to the Student Government Association (SGA) for three years, maintaining contact with students and hosting forum events to provide healthy conversations. This year, I have served as SGA's Vice President, honing in on consistency in our campus policies and helping recognize 8 new Student Organizations.

As Student Trustee, my work will revolve around three key components. First, transparency will be consistent while I serve in the position. I will ensure my availability every week, with guaranteed office hours throughout multiple days that are open to all community members. Transparency will also be present through monthly reports that will consist of any information I can share and ongoing projects across the university. Second, advancement will be core to my work throughout the year. Advancement is the availability of opportunities for members of our community to progress in their passions and professional careers. Through Student Trustee, I will fight for grant funding for our faculty & students and the ability for community members to take their work and projects to further heights across the state and the nation. Third, equity will surround the entirety of my service in the position. To ensure equity, I will be in consistent contact with different groups of people, in particular the ones the issues relate to and affect. Through this, a willingness to listen, grow, and a propensity to ask questions come into effect, which will maintain my proactivity to solve problems within the role of Student Trustee.

I am running for Student Trustee because I believe it serves as a way for students within higher education to propel institutional, administrative, faculty, staff, and other students’ voices on a statewide level. Student Trustees, particularly within a public university system such as the University of Massachusetts, ensure the opportunity to produce change that will affect campus members that are all different from one another. Student Trustees get to set into motion changes that can improve accessibility, affordability, and other sweeping reforms for all members of our community. Being born in Quincy, Massachusetts to two immigrants, I understand the importance of higher education in our world. Universities provide the people within them opportunities that don't exist anywhere else. In addition, universities like UMass Dartmouth serve as our second home and a community. Whether it’s students, faculty, staff, or administration, our institution's academic and community-building opportunities can propel them to awesome places in their careers and lives.

Thank you for all the support up until now. Let’s continue to build the best version of our campus. Together.

I’m interested in being a student trustee to be of service to the community around me. During my time here at UMass Dartmouth I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some amazing people and along the way, have made lasting connections. Now as a junior, this campus has become my second home and what better position is there is to give back to the community that has given so much to me. My experience is not like most and I didn’t have the greatest start. However, what separates me from the rest is my resiliency. It’s that when I'm faced with adversity, I choose to rise. In this position I want to help and be of service to others. I want to grow and harness the leadership skills I have. And most importantly, I want to make an impact. A difference. With my resilient spirit, I will go far as I’m dedicated and committed to this dream. I want to be the person who takes the needs of others into consideration with every decision I make and be their voice and number one advocate. I especially want to be the advocate to my younger self, coming to UMass Dartmouth as a first-gen student for the first time. I want to help her.