SGA President-elect discusses plans

(Photo/Contributed)Collin Willis SGA President-elect Nicole Jayjohn, a junior marine biology major from Daphne, Alabama, is excited for this upcoming school year to take a positive step with student involvement. She will be succeeding Morgan Long, a senior sports management major from Birmingham, Alabama. Jayjohn is planning on an unorthodox platform that doesn’t focus on the tangibles. “I want to honestly just bring about more positivity within the SGA and student body,” she said. “I want students to feel like they can come with questions and concerns (to SGA).” Jayjohn ran for SGA president because she believed it was meant to happen. “It was laid on my heart to do it,” she said. “Whatever was going to happen was supposed to happen, so I think that I am in the place I am supposed to be.” Jayjohn, who is currently serving as vice president of internal affairs, says she wants to build her presidency on transparency, unity, positivity, but above all, be a voice for the students. She believes it’s the students’ ideas that should be put forth – for them and by them. “Because of (my) broad platform, I truly do want to follow through and make sure that what I said will happen, so I want students to come to me and reach out,” she said. “I think it is really important for the student body and student government that we mold well, because if not, there is no point to it within the university.” According to Jayjohn, 1,600 out of Troy’s eligible 13,500 students cast votes during the SGA elections this year, illustrating the lack of involvement from students. Jayjohn said students expressed that the SGA has hidden what goes on at meetings and is not easily accessible. She wants to make the SGA more accessible and serve students. “This year was a little rough for SGA and the student body,” she said. “But I hope people see that we are making an effort to make (Troy) more enjoyable and transparent.” Jayjohn said she considers Troy a “home away from home” as two of her sisters graduated from Troy. Jayjohn said her leadership style will differ from Long’s who had specific policies that he ran on compared to her broader platform.“I think Morgan did a great job, and I think each leader has his/her own way to lead,” she said. “I think that it is important as a leader to hear all the voices of the students and hear all different opinions, ideas (and) concerns.” She plans to take in what the students want to see happen and make it attainable. Her overall goal is to promote involvement. Jayjohn will assume office as the SGA president starting fall 2020.