Young Leaders Conference

Today is the first day of YLC, a weekend-long conference that brings high school students to UF's campus to learn about themselves and how they can become better leaders.  The students participating in YLC will be spending time on campus, at Lake Wauburg, and in the areas immediately surrounding campus.

I will be speaking to the YLC participants as part of the opening ceremonies tonight.  Here is a transcript of some of the things I will say:

Welcome to the University of Florida.  My name is Christina Bonarrigo and I currently serve as the Student Body President here at UF.  YLC is an exciting weekend where high school students meet other leaders from across the state and hone their leadership skills.  Over the course of this weekend, you will learn a lot about yourself, working in groups, and becoming leaders of groups and organizations.  

Most, if not all, of you have figured out the importance of being involved with organizations and activities in addition to the work you do in the classroom.  I firmly believe that the social experiences you have during school are just as important to your education as the academic work that traditionally defines high school.  Your involvement in sports, clubs, student government, and music groups connect you to the surrounding community and the leadership skills you learn this weekend will enable you to have a greater impact in those organizations.

In case you haven't noticed, the theme of this weekend is "Superheroes."  My favorite superhero is Superwoman.  Although I don't have super human speed and can't fly, the idea of working with others for the greater good has driven my desire to serve in student government.  I hope that over the course of this weekend, you will discover how you can improve the community around you.  I know Melina and her team have worked very hard to give you all the best experience possible and I hope you will find this weekend to be fun and informative.  Enjoy your time in the heart of the Gator Nation and Go Gators!

Get Involved This Fall

With the Summer session nearing an end, some of you might have already begun thinking about what things you want to do this Fall. While UF offers more than 900 student organizations, containing pre-professional societies, various student unions and several Greek chapters in different councils, I have found that there is no better way to get involved than with Student Government.

Being a part of Student Government has been one of the greatest things I've done with my time at UF. While I started as a member of the Student Senate, during my four years I have been able to work closely with my fellow SG officials and through this, I have learned all about our different agencies, directorships and cabinets and what they have to offer.

Moreover, our Student Government is always adapting to enhance the student experience. I think that is why I have enjoyed being a part of SG; I truly enjoy seeing the projects I have undertaken really help students on this campus that I love!

There are many things you can do to get involved with SG. First, I recommend liking our Facebook page and following our Twitter account. On here you can find postings about open positions as well as events which will allow you to learn more about SG. I also would encourage you to check the SG website regularly. The website is home to all of our applications as well as lists of immediate openings.

If you ever find yourself in the Reitz with some time to kill, feel free to come up and talk to an SG official in person, anyone would be happy to talk to you about what opportunities are available!