Merrill Student Government (MSG) – Building Merrill's Student Voice

December 2022 - June 2026

When I joined Merrill Student Government as Secretary in Spring 2023, the organization was barely functioning. COVID had gutted membership, meetings had almost no attendance beyond the executive board, and there was no real system for communication, accountability, or growth. I joined with 30 minutes of training and spent the year solving what I could operationally — drafting agendas, managing records, standardizing slide decks, building a post-meeting recap system so absent members stayed informed, and pushing for the Parliamentarian position to improve how we made decisions.

As Vice Chair, the deeper problem became clear. Students didn't see MSG as relevant or worth showing up for. I pushed for food at weekly meetings, which nearly doubled consistent attendance as students who came for the pizza stayed for the community. I started regularly taking pictures of our meetings and events, which documented the important work we were doing and also helped with forming our branding and public image. I recruited new members by presenting directly in freshman Merrill Core classrooms, led MSG's collaboration with the Student Union Assembly on the Radical Grocery Pop-Up to distribute free groceries to hundreds of students bi-weekly, and started building committees to distribute leadership responsibility beyond the small executive board. 

As Chair, I've been working through the longer list. Membership has grown roughly 500% through three new committees, a new Community Engagement Coordinator position, and a formal orientation system. Funding transparency improved through quarterly governance reports distributed to all 500+ Merrill residents. RA pay inequity between Crown/Merrill and other colleges was addressed through successful advocacy for compensation parity. Student welfare infrastructure grew through a Merrill Basic Needs Corner, a new Baobab Lounge mural, and a new Merrill College map. And cross-campus coordination improved through the revival of the Council of Chairs, bringing all 10 college student government chairs together for the first time since COVID.

MSG has grown not just in numbers but in credibility, community presence, and leadership continuity. Being at the center of that has been one of the most meaningful parts of my time at UCSC.