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: 12:20-12:20 p.m.  
Frequency: Tuesday , Weekly  
Location: 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, junior

President

  • Major: Political Science
  • Concentration: Pre-Law
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: “My name means 'good listener' and 'listener of God.'”
  • Career Goal: “I want to become a lawyer and be successful.”
Senate Member Photo
Sylvia Pawlica, senior

Vice President

  • Major: Pyschology & Sociology
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: “I love to travel and want to see the Seven Wonders of the World.”
  • Career Goal: “I’m getting a Ph.D. in Psychology, and I want to do original research and teach at the college level.”
Senate Member Photo
Krutiben Patel, senior

Secretary

  • Major: Psychology
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: “I was born in India.”
  • Career Goal: “I want to either go into Psychology or become a school psychologist.”
Senate Member Photo
Marleen El-Zabet, junior

Treasurer

  • Major: Engineering
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: “I was born and lived in Egypt for 12 years ... never visited the pyramids.”
  • Career Goal: Architect
Senate Member Photo
Jillian Hoffman, sophomore

Public Relations Officer

  • Major: Communication Arts
  • Minor: Marketing
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: “I am a photographer!”
  • Career Goal: Public Relations Specialist

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.

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.

Senate Member Photo
Autumn Grady, senior

Senator

  • Major: Communication Arts
  • Minor: Management and Organizational Behavior
  • Years of Senate Service: Four Years
  • Fun Fact: “I spend my free time watching Law & Order: SVU.”
  • Career Goal: Web Designer
No Photo Available
Amy Brand, junior

Senator

  • Major: International Business and Economics
  • Minor: Spanish
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: “I have a one year old Blue Nose Pitbull named Mia.”
  • Career Goal: “I want to work for an international company in a top leadership position so that I can help others as much as possible.”
Senate Member Photo
Brittany Brown, sophomore

Senator

  • Major: Management and Organizational Behavior
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: “I am a kid at heart!”
Senate Member Photo
Soha AbdunRahman, sophomore

Senator

  • Major: Undeclared
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year

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.

Senate Member Photo
David Banda, sophomore

Senator

  • Major: Exercise and Sports Studies
  • Minor: Spanish
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: “I played rugby and wrestled all four years in high school, and I still like to read and play video games.”
  • Career Goal: “To have the best college career I can possibly have!”
No Photo Available
Jeremy Rosko, junior

Senator

  • Major: Spanish
  • Minor: Secondary Education
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: “I am a huge puzzle nerd.”
  • Career Goal: High school Spanish teacher

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.

Senate Member Photo
Samantha Tikalsky, junior

Senator

  • Major: Criminal Justice
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: “I have been playing guitar, piano, and singing since I was eight years old. I have performed in front of a crowd of 1,200 people, and participated in The Voice, American Idol, and America's Got Talent.”
  • Career Goal: “I would like to be involved with legal work, either as a fraud investigator, paralegal or even lawyer.”
Senate Member Photo
Erin Martins, senior

Senator

  • Major: Psychology
  • Minor: Social Work
  • Years of Senate Service: Three Years
  • Fun Fact: “I'm obsessed with Snow White!”
  • Career Goal: “I want to become a childhood and adolescents therapist.”
Senate Member Photo
Mariam Alieu, junior

Senator

  • Major: Psychology
  • Minor: Social Work
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: “Almost everything I own is pink... it's my favorite color!”
  • Career Goal: “I want to become a child psychologist.”

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. 

Senate Member Photo
Valerie Triolo, sophomore

Senator

  • Major: Diagnostic Medical Sonography
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: “I graduated high school a year early.”
  • Career Goal: “I want to become an effective and influential ultrasound technician that helps in many medical situations, and hopefully open my own practice one day.”

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.

Senate Member Photo
Zachary Pacourek, senior

Senator

  • Major: Health Science; Pre-Med
  • Years of Senate Service: Four Years
  • Fun Fact: “I play the violin.”
  • Career Goal: “I want to be an ophthalmologist.”
Senate Member Photo
Jessica Buettner, senior

Senator

  • Major: Communication Arts
  • Minor: Music
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: “I have been to four anime conventions in the past two years.”
  • Career Goal: “I want to be a newspaper or television journalist.”

Student Activities and Leadership Development

Joan Henehan
Director of Student Engagement and Leadership Development
(630) 829-6617
jhenehan@ben.edu

Daniel Turano
Coordinator of Student Involvement
(630) 829-6620
dturano@ben.edu

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