Student Body President Eric Mendoza was raised on the Aggie traditions and Core Values that inspired him to get involved in student government.
Currently an economics senior, Medoza is a second-generation Aggie who was raised surrounded by former students. Growing up, he had the opportunity to attend events on campus and to see firsthand how A&M had transformed his parents’ lives. Mendoza said it had always been clear to him that Aggies take pride in their lifelong commitment to A&M, and he was inspired to do the same.
During his first three terms in A&M’s Student Senate, Mendoza said he worked closely with several former student body presidents and saw how their roles allowed them to serve the student body in significant ways.
“When I decided to run, I had a tremendous team backing me,” Mendoza said. “I feel grateful still to this day that so many incredible, selfless, talented Aggies were willing to sacrifice so much for our campaign and really for our student body.”
When Mendoza and his team started campaigning, he said they had three overarching goals: increasing communication with the student body on a recurring basis, continuing to advocate for big-picture improvements on campus and working more closely with student leaders in other parts of campus.
“Though these goals were set pre-COVID[-19] and we have certainly had to remain flexible, I am so proud that we have also remained true to the spirit of our initial three goals, just in new ways,” Mendoza said. “Through my work with student government, we have been able to advocate for and be a part of so much of the good that has happened on our campus over the past year.”
Beginning with the team’s partnership with the Faculty Senate to successfully extend the pass/fail deadline in the spring of 2020, Mendoza said they have been able to accomplish much in hope of bettering the student body.
“Additionally, I worked on the fall planning committee and [Student Government Association] COVID-19 Student Task Force over the summer to prepare for successfully returning to campus and on-campus involvement. [We] worked to keep our campus informed and safe throughout the year through our SGA Town Halls, SGA specific ‘Don’t Pass it Back’ videos and our own relaunch of ‘Howdy to Health,’” Mendoza said. “I am incredibly proud to represent a student body so bound by our Core Values — something we saw lead to our success in staying open all fall semester, even when so many other universities were not able to do the same due to COVID[-19].”
Of equal importance, Mendoza said, are the conversations that are still ongoing about campus climate and diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Getting to be a part of the President’s Commission on [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] gave me the ability to spend months listening to many of our current students, former students and faculty and staff during the commission listening sessions,” Mendoza said. “The commission was just the beginning and the work has just begun, though I want to take note of the voices of so many that dedicated themselves to improving our campus.”
Though he often gets most of the attention in his current role, Mendoza said the aforementioned accomplishments would not have been possible without his executive cabinet.
“I want to highlight the work and dedication of my executive cabinet whose work makes all that we have accomplished possible,” Mendoza said. “Our cabinet is full of dedicated and selfless student leaders that give me confidence in saying that our student body is in good hands for years to come.”