These last few weeks, campus has been abuzz with excitement for the Student Government Association’s spring elections. Posters were plastered everywhere, and one couldn’t pass through the Student Success Center without spotting a candidate campaigning.
With Student Body President Nathan Hazen (’24) set to graduate in May, his chief of staff, Brielle Lacroix, threw her hat in the ring to fill the position for the 2024-25 school year. After talking with hundreds of students about her goals for sustainability, community engagement and increasing student awareness of campus support services, Lacroix won the nomination and will step into the role this fall.
Madison: Have you held a previous position in SGA?
Brielle Lacroix: Yes! I am the current chief of staff for SGA. The chief of staff is in charge of planning events, booking rooms, taking minutes, managing the SGA office and overseeing the canvas page. Previously, I served as the ring committee chairwoman.
Madison: What about your Madison Experience inspired you to take on a leadership position within the SGA?
Lacroix: JMU is the best place on earth, and I love being a student here. Part of loving somewhere is being aware of its faults and being an advocate for positive sustainable change. The more I learned about and experienced JMU, the more I became aware of how many people it takes to make this place run smoothly.
Madison: What will be your responsibilities as president?
Lacroix: This new role builds a lot on the roles I’ve held previously and the relationships I’ve been able to make during my time in SGA so far. The biggest responsibility change is that I now help provide student perspective on a variety of topics and am now responsible for connecting students with the administrators, offices and resources that meet their needs.
Madison: What do you see as your biggest goals in office?
Lacroix: I’m very passionate about sustainability, specifically sustainability education. In my conversations with students, I’ve learned that the JMU community is eager to understand and prioritize sustainability. Secondly, I hope to promote community service and all the opportunities that exist at JMU for it. Also, through my experience as a campus tour guide and 2023 orientation peer adviser, I’ve learned so much about what JMU has to offer in terms of student support services, and I am really interested in looking into innovative ways to advertise these to students.
Madison: As an organization, how does the SGA personify the leadership qualities of Dukes?
Lacroix: SGA is truly one of the most caring, educated, engaged and passionate groups of people on this campus. Our members spend their free time thinking about ways they can make JMU and the lives of its students better. They embody “work hard, play hard” and match their contribution to this campus in their ability to make everything a good time. They are the people that every JMU student should want to know and learn from; they are true Dukes.
