Student Life

Student Activities and Leadership Development
Student Activities and Leadership Development

Student Senate

As members of the Student Senate of Benedictine University, we pledge to serve the Benedictine community by voicing the needs and facilitating the development of the student body.

We pledge to influence change on campus by serving as a liaison between the student body and University administration. We help build organizational skills, network with alumni, and build contacts with members of the administration, influential people and help further develop communication skills.

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Meetings

Time: 12:20-1:20 p.m.  
Frequency: Tuesday , Weekly  
Location: Krasa Student Center, Engaged Learning Center, Krasa 050  

Student Senators

Executive Board

The Student Senate Executive Board is responsible for fulfilling all appropriate duties as determined by the Student Senate bylaws, the expectations of the Executive Board’s advisor and policies and procedures outlined in the Student Senate handbook.

Senate Member Photo
Samantha Seggerson, senior

President

  • Major: Political Science
  • Concentration: Pre-Law
  • Years of Senate Service: Three Years
  • Fun Fact: “I want to go into a shark cage'”
No Photo Available
David Banda, junior

President

  • Major: Psychology
  • Minor: Spanish
  • Years of Senate Service: Three Years
  • Fun Fact: Mr. Banda has a couple of jobs on campus and is involved in many activities. He prefers to be called “David” instead of “Dave”.
  • Career Goal: Work in the Psychology field or continue studying towards a criminal justice background.
No Photo Available
Soha AbdurRahman, junior

Vice President

  • Major: Political Science: Pre-Law & Business Management
  • Years of Senate Service: Three Years
  • Fun Fact: Ms. AbdurRahman wants to learn how to ride a motorcycle.
  • Career Goal: Graduate School
No Photo Available
Dwayne Jones, junior

Treasurer

  • Major: Health Science
  • Years of Senate Service: Three Years
  • Fun Fact: Mr. Jones really wants to pilot an airplane.
  • Career Goal: Medical School
Senate Member Photo
Marleen El-Zabet, junior

Treasurer

  • Major: Engineering
  • Years of Senate Service: Three Years
  • Fun Fact: “I'm a really bad driver. Let me know if you need a ride!”
No Photo Available
Katelyn Beamish, sophomore

Secretary

  • Major: Mathematics
  • Minor: Secondary Education
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: Ms. Beamish loves watermelon!
  • Career Goal: Impactful, passionate educator.
No Photo Available
Valerie Triolo, junior

Public Relations Officer

  • Major: Diagnostic Medical Sonography
  • Years of Senate Service: Three Years
  • Fun Fact: Ms. Triolo does Special FX makeup seasonally at the Hayride of Horror in Lockport.
  • Career Goal: Diagnostic Medical Sonographer and Part-Time Actress

Speaker Pro Tempore

The Speaker Pro Tempore is responsible for promoting accurate and appropriate usage of parliamentary procedures during Student Senate meetings. Duties include serving as parliamentarian, teaching parliamentary procedures to senators and executive board members, chairing the Internal Affairs Committee and maintaining orderly conduct in Student Senate Chambers.

No Photo Available
Tyler Stachniak, sophomore

Speaker Pro Tempore

  • Major: Marketing
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: Ms. Stachniak can’t smell skunk.
  • Career Goal: Real-Estate

Goodwin College of Business Student Senate Committee

Members of the Goodwin College of Business Student Senate Committee meet with the dean or department chairs regarding academic developments and issues within the college.

No Photo Available
MaKayla Vlope, senior

Committee Chair

  • Major: International Business and Economics
  • Minor: Spanish and Mandarin
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: Ms. Volpe spent six months in Copenhagen for school last semester.
  • Career Goal: Travel internationally.
No Photo Available
Lauren Schuster, freshman

Senator

  • Major: Management and Organizational Behavior
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: Ms. Schuster is obsessed with anything involving sharks or pineapples.
  • Career Goal: Ms. Schuster wants to travel and work all around the world while helping businesses and nonprofits grow and achieve their fullest potential.
No Photo Available
Theofilos Lolis, junior

Senator

  • Major: International Business and Economics
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: Mr. Lolis is trilingual.
  • Career Goal: Work Internationally
No Photo Available
Kristian Santiago, sophomore

Senator

  • Major: Sports Management
  • Minor: Music
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: Mr. Santiago likes to collect custom-made chopsticks!
  • Career Goal: Professional golf industry by day and Professional Violinist by night
No Photo Available
Alejandra Galeana, senior

Senator

  • Major: International Business + Economics and Political Science
  • Minor: Spanish
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: "I was in Xi'an and Beijing China over the summer for a Chinese Model United Nations conference"
No Photo Available
Matt Lawless, senior

Senator

  • Major: Business and Economics
  • Minor: International Business and Economics
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: Mr. Lawless can play both the clarinet and saxophone!
  • Career Goal: Owning my own business.

College of Education and Health Services Student Senate Committee

Members of the College of Education and Health Services Student Senate Committee meet with the dean or department chairs regarding academic developments and issues within the college.

No Photo Available
Jeremy Rosko, senior

Committee Chair

  • Major: Spanish
  • Minor: Secondary Education
  • Years of Senate Service: Four Years
  • Fun Fact: Mr. Rosko would like to visit all 50 states.
  • Career Goal: Spanish Teacher
No Photo Available
Audrey Butler, senior

Senator

  • Major: Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: Ms. Butler has fourteen tattoos.
  • Career Goal: Registered Dietition
No Photo Available
Victoria Sweeney, junior

Senator

  • Major: Nutrition
  • Minor: Dietetics
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: Ms. Sweeney has gone sky-diving three times!
  • Career Goal: Registered Dietitian

College of Liberal Arts Student Senate Committee

Members of the College of Liberal Arts Student Senate Committee meet with the dean or department chairs regarding academic developments and issues within the college.

No Photo Available
Alejandra Montoya, sophomore

Committee Chair

  • Major: Psychology and Criminal Justice
  • Minor: Spanish
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: Ms. Montoya is a lifeguard who, when in training, can hold her breath for two minutes.
  • Career Goal: Forensic Psychologist
No Photo Available
Vanessa Romero, junior

Senator

  • Major: Psychology
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: Ms. Romero went to Spain for two weeks while attending High School.
  • Career Goal: Doctorates Degree with personal practice
No Photo Available
Lexi Trippedi, freshman

Senator

  • Major: Graphic Design
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: I have a new chocolate lab puppy named “Rizzo”!
  • Career Goal: Graphic Designer for Disney and Fluent in Spanish
No Photo Available
Peter Wedeman, junior

Senator

  • Major: Criminal Justice
  • Minor: Psychology
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: Mr. Wedemann rode his bike from Wood Dale, IL to Saint Louis, Missouri with his Boy Scout Troop.
  • Career Goal: Law Enforcement
No Photo Available
Rex Finan, junior

Senator

  • Major: Psychology
  • Minor: Studio Art
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: "I've been lost in the desert. Twice"
No Photo Available
Steven Gibson, senior

Senator

  • Major: Global Studies
  • Years of Senate Service: Three Years
  • Fun Fact: Mr. Gibson likes to paint miniatures (models of people, vehicles, etc.).
  • Career Goal: State department
Senate Member Photo
Erin Martins, senior

Senator

  • Major: Psychology
  • Minor: Social Work
  • Years of Senate Service: Three Years
  • Fun Fact: “I'm a huge horror fan!”

College of Science Student Senate Committee

Members of the College of Science Student Senate Committee meet with the dean or department chairs regarding academic developments and issues within the college. 

No Photo Available
Urva Mehveen, sophomore

Committee Chair

  • Major: Biology and Psychology
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: Ms. Mehveen played on the Varsity Badminton team at Waubonsie Valley High School.
  • Career Goal: Cardiology
No Photo Available
Nicole Chacin, junior

Senator

  • Major: Health Science
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: Ms. Chacin loves singing Italian, French, and German opera, but also enjoys almost anything classical or jazz related.
  • Career Goal: Pediatric Surgeon
No Photo Available
Thomas Kolbusz, junior

Senator

  • Major: Biolody
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: Mr. Kolbusz has saved a life.
  • Career Goal: Emergency Medicine Physician
No Photo Available
Claudia Reyes, junior

Senator

  • Major: Biology
  • Minor: Chemistry
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: : Ms. Reyes is such a huge fan of Pokémon that her whole wall is themed Pokémon.
  • Career Goal: Physician's Assistant
No Photo Available
Michael Valipour, junior

Senator

  • Major: Biology
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: "When I'm not in dress causal clothes and a lab coat, I'm in motorcycle gear and riding in large groups sometimes in the thousands"

Student Outreach

Senators on the Student Outreach Committee meet with other University support areas (outside of academic colleges and departments) that are of general student interest such as Student Life, Campus Ministry, Student Health Services, the Academic and Career Enrichment Center, Benedictine Police, Information Technology, the Barnes & Noble at Benedictine University bookstore, Dining Services, the Benedictine Library and more.

No Photo Available
Stephanny Tipsord, freshman

Senator

  • Major: Criminal Justice
  • Minor: Physcology
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: Ms. Tipsord used to be a model.
  • Career Goal: Forensic Psychology

Student Activities and Leadership Development

Katie Buell
Student Activities and Commuter Services Coordinator
(630) 829-6128
kbuell@ben.edu