Students' Association Senators
Students' Association 2023–2024 Senate
The Students' Association Senate is comprised of 26 senators serving the 7 different academic colleges. If an academic college doesn't fill all of their seats Senators At-Large are sworn in to fill empty seats. Additionally, an executive team is formed at the beginning of each term to serve as senate leadership include the Student Body President and Vice President.
Learn more about the Students' Association Executive Team and Senate below!
President
Trinity Peterson
Committees: Finance Committee, Organizational Subcommittee, and UAFBC
Year: Junior | Major(s): Political Science and Agricultural Education
Campus Involvement: 2021–2022 South Dakota State FFA Officer, 100th Little International Staff, Admissions Ambassador and Honors College
Vice President
Hayden Bentz
Committees: Finance Committee, UAFBC
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Human Biology and Business Economics
Campus Involvement: Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band, Fishback Honors College, Honors Dean's Student Advisory Committee, Pre-Dental Club, Admissions Ambassador
Chief of Staff
Benjamin R. Connor
Committees: Government Affairs, Student Diversity & Inclusion, Student Promotions Committee, Senate Communications Committee
Year: Senior | Major(s): Political Science
Campus Involvement: Track/Cross Country, SAAC, Pre-Law Society, Political Science Club and Honors College
Finance Chair
Katie Neuhaus
Committees: Finance Committee (Chair), UAFBC, Student Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Year: Senior | Major(s): Criminology
Campus Involvement: American Armed Forces
Government Affairs Chair
Michael Garofalo
Committees: Government Affairs Committee (Chair), Student Promotions (Chair), and Campus Planning & Sustainability and Transportation Committee, Student Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Year: Senior | Major(s): Political Science
Campus Involvement: Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band, Statesmen Men's Choir, History Club, Political Science Club, Imagine 2023 Strategic Plan Committee
Communications Chair
Hannah Dayaget
Committees: Senate Communications Committee (Chair), Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Integrated Marketing & Communications Committee and Student Promotions (Student Employee Representative)
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Global Studies and Political Science
Campus Involvement: Global Studies Club, Speech and Debate team, Jack's Cupboard.
Diversity Chair
Chloe Wisser
Committees: Student Diversity & Inclusion Committee (Chair), Safety & Security Committee and Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Senate Communications Committee
Year: Sophomore| Major(s): Global Studies, Spanish, and Geography
Campus Involvement: Global Studies CLub
Senators for the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences
Senator Tyler Rasmussen
Tyler Rasmussen
Committees: Government Affairs Committee, Information Technology Committee, Safety and Security
Year: Junior | Major(s): Agriculture Business
Campus Involvement: Alpha Gamma Rho, Inter-Fraternity Council Judicial Officer, Little I Equipment Staff, Collegiate Cattlemen's Club, SDSU Alumni Mentor-Mentee Program, LeadState
Senator Wesley Siira
Wesley Siira
Committees: Finance Committee, Safety & Security Committee, Parking and Trafficking Committee, Library Committee
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): N/A
Campus Involvement: N/A
Senator Grace Peterson
Grace Peterson
Committees: Finance Committee, Student Promotions Committee, and UFSAC
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Agricultural Business
Campus Involvement:
Senator Kaitlyn Lorang
Kaitlyn Lorang
Committees: Academic Affairs Committee, Wellness Center Advisory Committee, Finance Committee
Year: Junior | Major(s): Agricultural Communication
Campus Involvement: Agronomy and Precision Ag Club President, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) Member, Admissions Ambassador, Little International Staff
Senators for the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Senator Madeline Brink
Madeline Brink
Committees: Government Affairs Committee, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Campus Planning and Sustainability Committee
Year: Junior | Major(s): Political Science
Campus Involvement: LeadState, Concert Choir, Symphony Orchestra and Pre-Law Society
Senators for the College of Education and Human Services
No Current Senators
Senators for the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering
Senator Grant Sternhagen
Grant Sternhagen
Committees: Finance Committee, Information Technology Committee, Academic Appeals Committee, Safety and Security Committee, and Parking and Trafficking Committee
Year: Junior | Major(s): Computer Science
Campus Involvement: Joint Engineering Council, Country Swing Dancing Club and Residence Hall Association
Senators for the College of Natural Sciences
Senator Victoria Vazquez
Victoria Vazquez
Committees: Student Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and Safety and Senate Communications Committee, Finance Committee
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Human Biology and Business Econ
Campus Involvement: New Student Orientation leader and Newman Center ambassador
Senator Mara Andersen
Mara Andersen
Committees: Academic Affairs Committee, Academic Appeals Committee, Student Success Committee, and Parking and Trafficking Committee
Year: Senior | Major(s): Human Biology
Campus Involvement: LeadState Student Coach Coordinator, Oasis Ministry Team, Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program, Students' Association and Honors College
Senators for the College of Nursing
Senator Rylee Sabo
Rylee Sabo
Committees: Intercollegiate Athletics Board, SUAC, Finance Committee
Year: Junior| Major(s): Nursing
Campus Involvement: Admissions Ambassador, SNA and ASL Club
Ellie Ulvin
Ellie Ulvin
Committees: Campus Planning and Sustainability Committee, Safety and Security Committee, Senate Communications Committee
Year: Junior| Major(s): Nursing
Campus Involvement: National Society of Collegiate Scholars
Lindsay Condon
Lindsay Condon
Committees: Library Committee, SDState Health Committee, WCAC
Year: Junior | Major(s): Nursing
Campus Involvement: Admissions Ambassador
Senators for the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health
No Current Senators
Senators for the Graduate School
No Current Senators
Senators At-Large
Senator Carter Howell
Carter Howell
Committees: Intercollegiate Athletics Board Committee, Government Affairs Committee, Safety & Security Committee.
Year: Junior | Major(s): Agricultural Business and Business Economics
Campus Involvement: Admissions Ambassador, CAFES Ambassador, Investment Club, F.I.R.E. Club, Block & Bridle, Collegiate Cattlemen’s Club, Brown Hall Government
Senator Grady O'Neill
Grady O'Neill
Committees: Finance Committee, Senate Communications Committee, Integrated Marketing & Communications, WCAC
Year: Senior | Major(s): Architecture
Campus Involvement: SigEp and holds positions such as event coordinator, balanced man scholarship, hobo days coordinator and brotherhood event coordination; VP of men's soccer club; VP of AIAS
Senator Hallie Kueter
Hallie Kueter
Committees: Strategic Internal Communications Committee, and Safety and Security Committee, Senate Communications Committee
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Human Biology and Psychology
Campus Involvement: State-A-Thon, Support Desk, Honors College and AMSA Pre-pro
Senator Olivia Schanzenbach
Olivia Schanzenbach
Committees: Student Promotion Fund, and Campus Planning and Sustainability
Year: Senior | Major(s): Psychology (Pre-Law Emphasis)
Campus Involvement: Psychology Club, Psi Chi VP, Pre- Law Society
Senator Esther Illunga
Esther Ilunga
Committees: Government Affairs Committee, Safety and Security Committee, Student Diversity and Inclusion Committee, International Affairs Committee
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Criminology
Campus Involvement: UPC, SELF, Honors, BSA
Senator Avery Dooley
Avery Dooley
Committees: Student Success Committee, Finance Committee, and Safety and Security Committee
Year: Junior | Major(s): Chemistry and Bio Chemistry
Campus Involvement: N/A
Senator Claire Koenecke
Claire Koenecke
Committees: Safety & Security, Government Affairs, and SUAC
Year: Sophomore| Major(s): English and Political Science
Campus Involvement: Honors College, Taylor Swift Society and Hobo Day Committee
Senator Grace Barnett
Grace Barnett
Committees: Government Affairs, UFSAC, UAFBC
Year: Freshmen | Major(s): Nursing
Campus Involvement: N/A
Senator Katherine Pfiefle
Kathrerine Pfiefle
Committees: Finance Committee, Safety and Security Committee, and Student Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Year: Sophomore | Major(s): Civil Engineering
Campus Involvement: N/A
Become a Students' Association Senator
Elections for Students' Association senators and the student body president and vice president are held in March. Petitions for the election generally become available in February. In order to run in the senatorial election, a student must file an application and petition including signatures from at least 50 students in their academic college (25 signatures for senatorial candidates from the Graduate School). Information about Students' Association elections will be available in the Rabbit Report leading up to the election and on the Students' Association website.
Occasionally, Senate seats will become vacant during the academic year. In these cases, seats will be filled by Senators-At-Large appointed by the Students' Association Board of Directors. Senator-At-Large candidates must file an application and petition including signatures from at least 50 SDSU students regardless of their academic college. When Senator-At-Large positions are open, information will be included in the Rabbit Report and the Students' Association website.