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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Resources
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'”
Senate Member Photo
Sylvia Pawlica, senior

Vice President

  • Major: Pyschology & Sociology
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: I’ve been playing piano for 15 years”
Senate Member Photo
Krutiben Patel, senior

Secretary

  • Major: Psychology
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: “I was born in India”
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!”
Senate Member Photo
Soha AbdurRahman, sophomore

Public Relations Officer

  • Major: Political Science: Pre-Law & Business Management & Organizational Behavior
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: "I want to own a motorcycle"

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.

Senate Member Photo
Samantha Tikalsky, junior

Speaker Pro Tempore

  • Major: Criminal Justice
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: “I have been playing piano since I was eight years old”

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
Amy Brand, junior

Committee Chair

  • Major: International Business and Economics
  • Minor: Spanish
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: “I have a two year old Blue Nose Pitbull named Mia”
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"
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.”
No Photo Available
McKayla Vlope, junior

Senator

  • Major: International Business with Spanish
  • Minor: Mandarin
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: "I have been to over 20 concerts in the past three years"
No Photo Available
Keyarra Eaton, freshman

Senator

  • Major: Business Management and Organizational Behavior
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: "I have a pet chinchilla named "Chilly"!"
No Photo Available
Kristian Santiago, freshman

Senator

  • Major: Marketing
  • Minor: Music
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: "I played in a pit orchestra for a theatre production reading two different violin books at the same time"

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

Committee Chair

  • Major: Exercise and Sports Studies
  • Minor: Spanish
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: “I would like to do everything under the sun at least once in my life”
No Photo Available
Jeremy Rosko, junior

Senator

  • Major: Spanish
  • Minor: Secondary Education
  • Years of Senate Service: Three Years
  • Fun Fact: “One of my life goals is to visit all 50 states”
No Photo Available
Katelyn Beamish, freshman

Senator

  • Major: Mathematics
  • Minor: Secondary Education
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: "My favorite food is Watermelon"
No Photo Available
Matt Lawless, junior

Senator

  • Major: Business and Economics
  • Minor: Secondary Education
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: "I am IHSA certified to officiate three different sports (Soccer, Basketball, and Baseball)"
No Photo Available
Victoria Sweeney, junior

Senator

  • Major: Science of Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: "I have gone skydiving twice"

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
Mariam Alieu, junior

Committee Chair

  • Major: Psychology
  • Minor: Social Work
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: “I have more than 10 names”
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, junior

Senator

  • Major: Global Studies
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
No Photo Available
Nela Isic, senior

Senator

  • Major: Medical Humanities
  • Years of Senate Service: One Year
  • Fun Fact: "I have never seen any of the Star Wars movies"
Senate Member Photo
Alejandra Montoya, freshman

Senator

  • Major: Psychology
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: "My favorite color is grey"
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
Alexandra Karwowska, sophomore

Committee Chair

  • Major: Biology
  • Minor: Music
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: "I speak Polish"
Senate Member Photo
Valerie Triolo, sophomore

Senator

  • Major: Diagnostic Medical Sonography
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: “I am going to be in Hair the musical as Chrissy at Moraine Valley Community College this fall”
No Photo Available
Linda Vargas, sophomore

Senator

  • Major: Spanish & Health Science
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: "I love traveling to Mexico"
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"
No Photo Available
Dwayne Jones, sophomore

Senator

  • Major: Health Science
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: "I have a wide range in my voice"
No Photo Available
Marisol Ballines, sophomore

Senator

  • Major: Biology
  • Minor: Spanish
  • Years of Senate Service: Two Years
  • Fun Fact: "I can speak French"

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
Jessica Buettner, senior

Committee Chair

  • Major: Communication Arts
  • Minor: Music
  • Years of Senate Service: Three Years
  • Fun Fact: “I have been to 10 anime conventions over the past three years and there are plenty more to come”
No Photo Available
Maricarmen Montes Flores, sophomore

Senator

  • Major: Mathematics
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
No Photo Available
Wamuyu Munyiri, junior

Senator

  • Major: Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: "I grew up in Kenya, Africa"
No Photo Available
Bianca Huerta, freshman

Senator

  • Major: Communications
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: "I can touch my nose with my tongue"
No Photo Available
Stephanny Tipsord, freshman

Senator

  • Major: Marketing
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: "I am a model"
No Photo Available
Urva Mehveen, freshman

Senator

  • Major: Biology & Psychology
  • Years of Senate Service: First Year
  • Fun Fact: "I was on the homecoming court after being nominated Queen in high school"

Student Activities and Leadership Development

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

Daniel Turano
Assistant Director of Leadership Development
(630) 829-6620
dturano@ben.edu

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