The next candidate is Michael Thomas, a sophomore in finance from Auburn. Thomas gives tours for the business school, and he mentioned how passionate he is about returning the generosity he has received from Auburn.
“I feel like through this platform I can serve Auburn,” Thomas said. “I am a finance major, and I work for the Board of Trustees in Samford Hall, which has given me so much insight to how Auburn works as a whole.”
Thomas’s platform involves putting a spotlight on scholarships that are not highly publicized so students qualified for these are granted them. These include scholarships such as the Ceddrick Mack Beacon Scholarship through SGA, open for everyone to apply.
Thomas said he wants more people to be aware of the scholarships available to them.
“As a quadruplet and one of four siblings in my family currently enrolled at Auburn, I fully understand the significant impact any scholarship can have for a student,” he said. “I will create a committee whose job is to properly investigate scholarship opportunities for Auburn students based on their involvement as well as need-based.”
Thomas also wants to explain to students why tuition and fees are increasing and where this money is going through summary reports, explanations of the budget reports and other fiscal reports.
“Since 1980, the tuition and fees rate has grown from around $600 to around $11,500 per semester, an 1,800% increase,” Thomas said in his platform document. “Every student has the right to understand how [their] hard-earned money is being spent.”
Thomas wants to have more personal connections with people who request money from SGA, saying that intentionality goes a long way in this process.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
