Decision 2015: Vice Presidential Election Guide
Name: Casey D. Angello
Hometown: Ghent, NY
High School: Taconic Hills
Major: Liberal Arts
Name: Bryce Kirk
Hometown: Wynantskill
High School: Averill Park High School
Major: Business Administration
Why are you running for this position?
Casey: Leadership is a passion of mine which I will continue to look for opportunities to cultivate, and I am honored to take on the challenge of becoming a student leader here at HVCC. Between my enthusiasm as a student leader and my involvement on campus, I know that I will be able to bring an array of opportunities for students to become more involved on campus through the organization of fun, meaningful activities and events.
What are your experiences that qualify you as a good candidate?
Casey: From the beginning of the fall 2014 semester till the present, I have volunteered at every Student Senate-sponsored event. I spoke on the panel of leaders at Student Orientation, I write weekly updates for the Hudsonian on every Student Senate meeting in an effort to promote student awareness on campus, and I attend the weekly Student Leadership Workshop. Everything that I have done in past semesters has been oriented around immersing myself in as many categories of student involvement as possible. Being involved is the first step in understanding how to create even more opportunities for involvement.
How would you use your position to improve student life at Hudson Valley?
Casey: As Vice President, my goal is to provide opportunities for students to become involved. I recognize the importance of student involvement, and my efforts will be geared towards getting such opportunities marketed with the thought of creating more awareness on campus and thus connecting more students to each other. While I do play on the ice hockey team at HVCC, my main goal is to create the HVCC team.
What are some specific goals or initiatives that you will pursue if elected?
Casey: Within creating more opportunities for students to become involved, I strongly believe that athletic competitions play a huge role in cultivating school spirit, which I believe is an extremely strong asset when referring to more involvement. The more that students enjoy and recognize the competitiveness of our athletic teams, the more students will feel motivated to compete and win on the team that I like to call Hudson Valley Community College.
Student Senate leadership positions require the ability to effectively handle challenges. What is an example of you doing this in the past?
Casey: Between my involvement on campus, my participation in athletics, and my ability to manage my time successfully, I feel ready to take on the position of Student Senate Vice President.
What are your plans after leaving Hudson Valley?
Casey: My parents started a successful local food distribution company back in 2003 called Angello’s Distributing, Inc. My life goal is to eventually take on the leadership position of running the family business. Before that I hope to transfer to Cornell University in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in an effort to hone in on the specifics of managing a sustainable agricultural food distribution business. However, the passion and the process starts here at the Valley.
Why are you running for this position?
Bryce: I would love to be more involved in student life here at Hudson Valley, and I think I have a significant knowledge base I can bring to the table from all the activities in which I have previously participated.
What are your experiences that qualify you as a good candidate?
Bryce: I am already very active in student life here at Hudson Valley. I am a dynamic member of two clubs, one of which I am a board of directors member, and one other in which I am aspiring to be a board of directors member. I am also a published writer for the newspaper.
How would you use your position to improve student life at Hudson Valley?
Bryce: With the position of vice president comes the task of events and event planning. I am very excited to be involved in this process because one of my goals from the beginning of my time here at Hudson Valley has been to get involved in as much as I possibly could and make the most out of it. I really want to impart that attitude to other students here and show them that it is easy to get involved, and involvement can bring them much enjoyment and fulfillment.
What are some specific goals or initiatives that you will pursue if elected?
Bryce: I want to get more people involved in all of the activities that are taking place in and around campus. I want to make everything we do and everything we host more enticing to students. A large number of students also know nothing about the clubs around campus, and I want to change that. Students need to know that if you have a hobby or interest, there is probably a club here for you, and if not, you can always create your own group.
Student Senate leadership positions require the ability to effectively handle challenges. What is an example of you doing this in the past?
Bryce: I have always been the type of person to put myself in challenging situations. There are many examples I could give, but one that stands out is my experience in high school. I was never a very serious student until the 10th grade. Until that point I never gave my grades the kind of attention they deserved, and I ended up putting myself in a big hole in terms of GPA. I began to worry about how my poor grades might impact my chances of gaining acceptance to college. The big challenge came when I entered my last two years of high school. I improved my grades substantially and am now carrying a 4.0 GPA as I near completion of my freshman year at Hudson Valley.
What are your plans after leaving Hudson Valley?
Bryce: I plan to transfer to a four-year school and earn my bachelor’s degree in finance and either continue to graduate school or begin my career. Other than that, I plan to just let the future show me what it has in store.