Student Body President 

Bailey Gardin

Year: Senior 

Major: Political Science (Pre-Law Studies) 

What inspired you to join Student Government? I joined student government because I wanted the opportunity to be a leader and advocate for my peers to make their Appalachian State experience better by amplifying their voices! When you’re in student government, you have the ability to sit down and engage in conversations with important administrators and staff members that can implement change and action across our campus. 

What drew you to your position? During the 2020-21 academic year, I served as the SGA director of academic affairs and led the implementation of the Pass/No-Credit policy that was approved in the Fall 2020 semester. Seeing how many students utilized the policy and the academic relief it provided to our campus community only furthered my passion to advocate for others who need it the most. Additionally, vice president DJ Evans and former SGA director of diversity & inclusion Korbin Cummings pushed me to become a stronger leader, advocate and activist. Both of them helped me gain more confidence in my abilities and showed me that I was someone worthy of serving the student body which is a tremendous honor. 

What is your biggest goal regarding SGA this year? When I graduate, it is my hope that whoever is elected next to serve as president will be embracing a stronger organization than the one my administration inherited. We have made great progress in making our organization healthier internally which only allows us to assist the larger community more effectively. We have proven to be engaging and visible to our students showing them that we are here to help. It is my mission to continue these trends throughout the remainder of my term so that future generations of SGA leaders can see how to manage an effective organization and fulfill its purpose of representing student’s voices through intentional action. 

What are you looking forward to accomplishing this academic year? The biggest goal of my presidency is to amplify the voices of our students and ensure that university administrators are taking our concerns seriously. The four pillars of our platform: engagement, accountability, equity and wellness, provide a roadmap for how we can accomplish these goals and, although we still have plenty of work to do, I am happy to say that we are already seeing some successes as a student government administration.