Florida A&M’s Student Government Association held their senate meeting in the Multi Purpose room Monday evening. Students gathered to witness their peers get sworn into office along with two other candidates.
SGA unanimously voted in third-year Doctoral student in the Institute of Public Health from Sarasota, Tomia Austin.
Austin expressed her mission and goals for the senate, which is to serve as a liaison for the graduate association. She also said that there isn’t enough representation from the graduate program on the student government.
“We pay a significant portion of the ANS fees so as graduate students we will like to have some influence on that. There is also information that graduate students don’t have that they need to have as far as how student government works and how it affects them,” Austin said.
She explained how she would love to assist with recruitment of undergraduates to the FAMU graduate program.
“It is a lot that undergraduates students don’t know about opportunities for graduates students and programs at FAMU,” she said.
Graduate Student and Student Government President, Tonnette Graham, described Austin to be a die heart Rattler fan. She also expressed how Austin will bring exposure, and level of experience. Even with her age difference, she is relatable.
“I will never forget meeting Austin and her husband in Atlanta May 2014, when I first won president for SGA. We went to a brunch there and she was just so welcoming and has been supportive ever since,” Graham said.
She also describes her work ethics as being superb. She said how Austin loves to work and serve for the people. She said if I had to sum up Austin in three words it would be, genuine, die-heart fan, and phenomenal.
Da’juh Sawyer second-year business and administration student and sophomore senator had a lot of good things to say about Austin. She said when she first met candidate Austin she immediately got that urgency and readiness from her to serve the student body.
“One thing I can say about Austin, she is extremely good with time management. As a graduate student in her doctoral program, she knows her capability,” Sawyer said.