Today at noon marks the start of a new era at UTRGV as newly elected members of the Student Government Association are set to begin their term in office after celebrating at the 2016-17 SGA Inauguration Thursday in the Visitor Center Lobby on the Edinburg campus.
UTRGV President Guy Bailey welcomed the officers elected by the student body to be the link between students and university administrators that allows the voice of the student to be heard.
New SGA President Denisse Molina-Castro, who served as SGA vice president in Brownsville this academic year, was overcome with emotion as she held back tears while delivering her closing remarks at the inauguration. She spoke about the challenges behind her and the challenges that still lay ahead as the new SGA president.
“It’s a distinct honor. I’m actually the first female president for UTRGV and throughout the year we’ve had a lot of obstacles,” said Molina-Castro, a senior majoring in political science. “It is time for not only student government but leaders across the university to come together so we work and collaborate and are able to solve problems.”
SGA plays a key role at UTRGV as it offers the students a place to turn with their problems and the opportunity for their voice to be heard. A senator is elected for each college at the university providing the students belonging to the college someone they can relate to. SGA’s duty is to bridge the gap between the student body and the university.
Cindy Mata, director of Student Activities and SGA co-adviser, talked about the significant role SGA plays on a college campus like UTRGV.
“I think it’s a very important position. This is how we connect the students with administration and with other departments on campus and it really helps the students voice their concerns,” Mata said. “With this incoming term, our students are going to keep the momentum going and make more of an impact at UTRGV.”
Students were in attendance to witness the inauguration and show support for the newly elected members. Freshman Erika Del Bosque was one of the students in the audience as SGA members took the oath of office.
“I found out about SGA through Senator At-Large Denisce Palacios. Because of her I found out about the big difference they make on campus and the different things they do,” said Del Bosque, an English major. “Since a lot of us are from here, from the Valley, a lot of people don’t appreciate what UTRGV does, so they’ll bring more events to get people motivated.”
Molina-Castro and her vice presidents at each campus, junior Peter Averack in Edinburg and sophomore Alondra Galvan in Brownsville, hope to push the movement of SGA forward as UTRGV continues to grow and make an impact on university life.
“We want to make sure that everyone’s available and we’re able to be out there for the student body. Work doesn’t stop here. We have some pending resolutions and bills that we will continue to address throughout this term. We have new members that are ready to hit the ground running. They’re ready to start and they already have ideas, concerns and ways to improve our quality of life here at the university,” Molina-Castro said.
“We have new members that are ready to hit the ground running. They’re ready to start and they already have ideas, concerns and ways to improve our quality of life here at the university.
Denisse Molina-Castro
Student Government Association president”
You can keep up with the latest UTRGV Student Government Association news and future SGA meetings by liking their page on Facebook or following them on Twitter @UTRGVStudentGov.
