Meet Rebekah Danielson, the recently-elected Student Senate president.

“Before the election, before I got the news that I had gotten the position as president, I knew that it was in God’s hands,” Danielson said. “If I was going to get it, good, God gives me what He knows I can handle, and God is trying to show me a different leadership style. If not, that’s fine too, God knows what’s best for me.”

Danielson understands that being the president is a lot of responsibility. However, she looks forward to seeing the changes that she hopes to enact throughout the school year.

“In this position, you have to be a lot more empathetic,” Danielson said. “There are a lot of different groups [on campus] and a lot of different perspectives, which I’m not used to trying to balance. It’s going to be a different kind of leadership than I’m used to. But I hope and pray that this empathy will come through in what I’m trying to do.”

Danielson has several goals that she wants to achieve this coming school year through the four different committees that she is in charge of. She wants to change the weight room with the help of Student and University Affairs. Through Special Finances, she wants to make textbooks more affordable to everyone. Finally, along with the Diversity and Inclusivity office, she wants to make a hands-on learning center whose theme will change every month.

“My vision for this is to have different exhibits, almost, where you can really get a hands-on feel for different things,” Danielson said. “For example, if you were living in this region without shoes, on what kind of terrain you’d be traversing. Or, going with Women’s History Month, different kinds of clothing that was acceptable for women to wear in different time periods.”

“It’s all about the students and I hope that I can make a difference.” Danielson said.