Texas A&M students can now elect their next class presidents for the upcoming academic year at vote.tamu.edu. The Battalion sat down with all five of the class president candidates to hear more about their platforms and campaigns.
Editor’s note: The Battalion does not endorse candidates in any SGA or Class Council elections. Candidates are listed in order of appearance on ballot.
Senior class president
Hannah Pawlak
What is your Aggie story?
My Aggie story is that both of my parents went to A&M and graduated from A&M — my dad in [19]96 and my mom in [19]99 — so I grew up going to Aggie football and baseball games so when it came down to deciding where to go to college there really was no choice it was always going to be A&M.
What organizations are you involved with?
I'm currently involved in a number of organizations. I'm in a sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. I'm in AIChE which is a chemical engineering org. I'm a three-year member of Class Councils and I've been on the class officer team for two years under two different class presidents as vice president of membership and chief of staff.
Why are you running for class president, and why do you think you are qualified for this position?
I'm running for class president because I believe that the class deserves a leader who is selfless and committed to do good by them on all aspects of the job. I really want to highlight the senior traditions and the senior class legacy. I want to make the traditions the best that they can be so the Class of [20]25 can look back on that shared memory once they graduate and I want to implement a physical class gift as a representation of the hard work of the Class of [20]25. I believe I'm qualified for this position because of the work that I’ve done on the class officer team. I learned how to run the Class of [20]25 student council and the Class of [20]25 officer team and I've also been able to observe the ins and outs of the role of class president so I'm confident that I would be able to do the job.
What is your campaign platform?
The core values of my campaign are tradition, legacy, selflessness and commitment. Like I mentioned previously, I really want to highlight the senior class traditions and make them the best that they can be, I want to highlight a walk through the Quad for the members of the Corps, and I want to finish the Elephant Walk with a yell practice on Kyle Field — which hasn't been done in a couple of years. With legacy, I really want to do a physical class gift. There’s been a lot of scholarships and things done in the past, but I really think that a physical gift would really represent the pride of the Class of [20]25 and then with selflessness and commitment I am going to put this role first above everything to be the voice for the Class of [20]25 and to not use this position for my own personal agenda.
Why do you think students should vote for you?
I think that students should vote for me because I am a candidate who is always going to put the needs of others before my own. I am qualified. I have great ideas for what can be done for senior year.
Campaign slogan
Howdy with Hannah.
If you could hang out with any former student who would it be and why?
If I could hang out with any former student from Texas A&M it would probably be former student body president Natalie Parks to ask her about her time in leadership during the COVID[-19] era and what that was like.
Will Rodriguez
What is your Aggie story? Both of my biological parents went to A&M. My mom was a Fish Camp counselor all four years, my dad was a member of the Corps of Cadets in [Company] N-1, grew up going to Aggie games, and just had no other option — apply for A&M only — and when I got in that was it, so here I am. What organizations are you involved with? Currently, I am a member of Sigma Chi fraternity, I am on the IFC executive board for that. Also, I work for Student Senate and then Class Councils as the [junior] class president, right now, currently. Why are you running for class president, and why do you think you are qualified for this position? I am running for class president because I love this university. When I came to A&M, it was either join the Corps or disappoint my dad, and I had to tell him, “Hey, the Corps is not for me,” but the trade-off for that is I really want to give back. I have been doing my best to stay as involved as possible and serve the students. Since then, [my] time as class president has allowed me to advocate and speak for students across the university, and it's been super, super cool. Getting improved campus safety we are working right now to increase the funding to Beutel that got cut during COVID times. Just a couple other projects that have been super rewarding and just been a lot of fun to be a part of, and I get to feel like I am giving back and doing a good thing for the university. What is your campaign platform? My passion is student involvement so I just want to have as many Aggies involved as possible and have as amazing experience as I have. My other platform point is student safety, improving campus safety, whether that be identifying dangerous spots on campus, having the UPD patrol more or by adding more lights or security cameras. My final platform is not necessarily class president but just improving Greek life’s perception across campus as well as other organizations affiliated. There's a large campus and I feel like we only target a small portion of it, and I would like to just bring a lot of the organizations that are in the shadows out to light. Why do you think students should vote for you? I love A&M, I give every single day to making it better, I enjoy what I do and it just brings me so much joy to serve and represent the students’ administration to other schools and in every aspect I fight every single day for the betterment of the student experience and what it means to be an Aggie. Campaign slogan Let’s win with Will. If you could hang out with any former student who would it be and why? I think an easy answer is Sul Ross, who wouldn't want to just sit there and talk and hear his experience and what he thought it meant to be an Aggie and what he thinks of A&M today.
Junior class president
Colton Whisenant
Colton Whisenant, agribusiness sophomore
Transcript
What is your Aggie story?
I'm actually [a] third-generation Aggie and my mom always brought me up here as a kid, she taught me the core value of A&M. I learned an Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal since I was a little boy. Actually, whenever I used to get hurt I’d get a little “I bleed maroon band-aid” and put them on. I almost want to say I was brainwashed to come here, but I would say it's a healthy brainwashing. I love this university so much. My grandfather was a professor here, both my uncles went here and were both Yell Leaders here and all my brothers actually go to A&M, so we're a big Aggie family. We love this place and I wouldn't have it any other way
What organizations are you involved with?
Currently, I'm in Class Councils, I serve as the sophomore class president, I'm senator for the Corps residence halls, I was in Fish Camp, I was involved in MSC Abbott I was involved in the MSC fall leadership conference. I was involved in MSC Fish, and I'm on the weight team currently, and I am also in Ducks Unlimited and I'm in the Corps of Cadets as well.
Why are you running for class president, and why do you think you are qualified for this position?
I'm running for class president because Texas A&M has been an integral part of my life in its entirety. I remember coming up here with my mom and knowing that I always wanted to go here. I love Aggieland, and I want to give back to Texas A&M University everything that is given to me, and I want to serve the students around me and I want to serve my peers. I think there's nothing more rewarding than service. I've had the privilege and honor of serving my entire life and I can confidently say it's one of the most satisfying things in my entire life and I love it to death.
I've had the privilege and honor as serving as sophomore class present this year and me and my team have managed to raise well over $5,000 and are planning an awesome Pull Out day. I have participated in a multitude of different leadership conferences, I'm an Eagle Scout and I'm a member of the Corps. Being in the Corps has taught me invaluable leadership skills. I think it's probably been one of the best experiences I've ever had my entire life and these are experiences that I plan to use to serve y’all.
I want to push a multitude of different things, one of those being digital IDs, and this is something that's very important that we need to get the ball rolling on. You need to have your ID to eat or getting into baseball games and getting into the football games, getting into your dorm and so not having that causes a huge issue for students and so I think having digital IDs would prevent those issues — where students are locked into their dorm at night or they can't eat during the day. Another thing that I want to do is increase resources for disability services. You know the testing center has struggled or I've talked to different students that have had problems getting their test scheduled in the testing center and they can't get their accommodations because of it and that's something that's very important and impactful to me because I think every student here should have the services that they need to succeed. I also want to continue raising money for the Class of 2026 and the class gift
Why do you think students should vote for you?
I think students should vote for me because I've proven in the past that I'm able to handle the responsibilities of leadership. I think me and my team have done an awesome job this year and my time as sophomore class president. I also think that I have the unique ability to connect with everybody I meet. I think one of my favorite things from serving as sophomore class president is serving so many different types of people on campus and being able to do that is important because you're able to communicate everybody's problems and things that they're struggling with to administration. My ability to communicate with all different types of people on campus, different organizations, anybody is something that I think is very important in the people that are leading and serving you and I think that's something that I would look for.
Campaign slogan
Count on Colton
If you could hang out with any former student who would it be and why?
I would hang out with my uncle, my uncle David. He recently passed away this year and I really miss him, so definitely him.
What is your Aggie story?
I'm actually [a] third-generation Aggie and my mom always brought me up here as a kid, she taught me the core value of A&M. I learned an Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal since I was a little boy. Actually, whenever I used to get hurt I’d get a little “I bleed maroon band-aid” and put them on. I almost want to say I was brainwashed to come here, but I would say it's a healthy brainwashing. I love this university so much. My grandfather was a professor here, both my uncles went here and were both Yell Leaders here and all my brothers actually go to A&M, so we're a big Aggie family. We love this place and I wouldn't have it any other way
What organizations are you involved with?
Currently, I'm in Class Councils, I serve as the sophomore class president, I'm senator for the Corps residence halls, I was in Fish Camp, I was involved in MSC Abbott I was involved in the MSC fall leadership conference. I was involved in MSC Fish, and I'm on the weight team currently, and I am also in Ducks Unlimited and I'm in the Corps of Cadets as well.
Why are you running for class president, and why do you think you are qualified for this position?
I'm running for class president because Texas A&M has been an integral part of my life in its entirety. I remember coming up here with my mom and knowing that I always wanted to go here. I love Aggieland, and I want to give back to Texas A&M University everything that is given to me, and I want to serve the students around me and I want to serve my peers. I think there's nothing more rewarding than service. I've had the privilege and honor of serving my entire life and I can confidently say it's one of the most satisfying things in my entire life and I love it to death.
I've had the privilege and honor as serving as sophomore class present this year and me and my team have managed to raise well over $5,000 and are planning an awesome Pull Out day. I have participated in a multitude of different leadership conferences, I'm an Eagle Scout and I'm a member of the Corps. Being in the Corps has taught me invaluable leadership skills. I think it's probably been one of the best experiences I've ever had my entire life and these are experiences that I plan to use to serve y’all.
I want to push a multitude of different things, one of those being digital IDs, and this is something that's very important that we need to get the ball rolling on. You need to have your ID to eat or getting into baseball games and getting into the football games, getting into your dorm and so not having that causes a huge issue for students and so I think having digital IDs would prevent those issues — where students are locked into their dorm at night or they can't eat during the day. Another thing that I want to do is increase resources for disability services. You know the testing center has struggled or I've talked to different students that have had problems getting their test scheduled in the testing center and they can't get their accommodations because of it and that's something that's very important and impactful to me because I think every student here should have the services that they need to succeed. I also want to continue raising money for the Class of 2026 and the class gift
Why do you think students should vote for you?
I think students should vote for me because I've proven in the past that I'm able to handle the responsibilities of leadership. I think me and my team have done an awesome job this year and my time as sophomore class president. I also think that I have the unique ability to connect with everybody I meet. I think one of my favorite things from serving as sophomore class president is serving so many different types of people on campus and being able to do that is important because you're able to communicate everybody's problems and things that they're struggling with to administration. My ability to communicate with all different types of people on campus, different organizations, anybody is something that I think is very important in the people that are leading and serving you and I think that's something that I would look for.
Campaign slogan
Count on Colton
If you could hang out with any former student who would it be and why?
I would hang out with my uncle, my uncle David. He recently passed away this year and I really miss him, so definitely him.
Sophomore class president
Bhakti Patel
What is your Aggie story?
I am a first-generation Aggie, and my mom did not go to college and my dad did a little bit of college in India, but he does not have a degree. So I am a first-generation college student as well. Senior year when I was looking at colleges, I came across Texas A&M University, and I saw the community and the Aggie Spirit that people talked about, and I just thought that it would be a perfect place for me.
What organizations are you involved with?
I am involved in Fish Council, as well as Class Councils. I am also part of the Hindu Student Association and I am also working with another person who is starting an organization called E Equal.
Why are you running for class president, and why do you think you are qualified for this position?
I am running for sophomore class president because I really want to promote inclusivity and diversity here on campus. On that note, I also want to promote inclusivity and diversity in the traditions that take place for each class, and I really feel like through my previous leadership experience I can really advocate for the Class of 2027 and to make sure that everybody knows that their voice is heard and they can feel comfortable at these traditions.
What is your campaign platform?
My platform is focused on diversity and inclusivity with a focus on traditions. …Next year, sophomore year, would be Pull Out Day. I really want to make sure that it is an inclusive place for everybody where everybody feels like they have a place and they feel comfortable to go and they know that their voice is heard. I can also advocate in terms of what they want Pull Out day to look like, that's my campaign.
My full campaign platform is ... focused on diversity and inclusivity and just making sure that every single member of the Class of 2027 has a place here in Aggieland and also to make sure that whatever their concerns are their needs are for the year I can advocate for it to the university officials
Why do you think students should vote for you?
Students should vote for me because I have four years of leadership experience in the cabinet. In high school, I did student council all four years. I was an officer so I really have a background in event planning and in making sure that the people who are part of my community that I am looking over are comfortable in where they are and to also make sure that that community is diverse and inclusive and they feel like they belong there. Students should vote for me because I want to help make the class traditions for the Class of 2027 easier to go to and to make sure that they belong there,
Campaign slogan
Help me help you.
If you could hang out with any former student who would it be and why?
If I could hang out with any former student, it would be James Rudder because I feel like he really impacted the community here at Texas A&M, and I would really just want to talk to him and see what he was like as a person and just know a little bit about what his goals were and what he feels like now that he is such a big part of the Texas A&M community.
Cole Sloan
What is your Aggie story?
My Aggie story is that I come from a family not necessarily full of Aggies, but enough. My stepdad is an Aggie, and growing up here in College Station. I got to witness all of the traditions such as A&M football games, I got to make it to a couple Midnight Yells and I thought the entire world revolved around Texas A&M. Whenever it came time to apply for colleges, it was the only college that I applied to. This is the only place I knew was home, this town I couldn't leave it.
What organizations are you involved with?
I currently serve as the executive vice president for the freshman class, I'm in the Aggie Men’s Club and then through a FLO called Fish Aides that I'm in I serve on the committee for Big Event.
Why are you running for class president, and why do you think you are qualified for this position?
I'm running to be your sophomore class president because I want to connect Aggies at a school as large as ours with nearly 70,000 students. It's really hard to feel that small-town college feel, College Station is not a very big place. I'm running to be sophomore class president to help bridge the gap between Wehner and Zachry. I believe that all Aggies should have connections to student government to class councils to opportunities that will help them professionally and socially I want as class president to bring these opportunities closer and into the forefront of students’ minds so that students after they graduate don't say, ‘Oh I wish I would have known about that’ but they can know about it today and they can get involved.
What is your campaign platform?
The Connect with Cole campaign is simple. You want to connect to Aggies with job opportunities and internship opportunities through the Aggie Network. Connect students with organizational opportunities such as men's orgs, fraternities. We want those kinds of things to be in the forefront of students Minds so that they can get plugged in socially and then also I want to connect students with each other.
It's not just through organizations or through professional opportunities that students should be connected but here Texas A&M being a student is involvement we want things like Pull Out Day next year or this year's Fish Fest to be as amazing as possible so that you can have the best Aggie experience and be able to meet your peers you don't have to join something we want being a member here at Texas A&M to be your involvement as well.
Why do you think students should vote for you?
It's been an honor serving as your freshman class executive vice president. Through the relationships that I already have within Class Councils and within SGA, I believe that a vote for me is a vote to continue building upon the progress that we've made this freshman year moving into the future
Campaign slogan
Connect with Cole.
If you could hang out with any former student who would it be and why?
I really love the work that Greg Abbott has done. I also would love to meet guys like Rick Perry. I would love to work in government one day and Rick Perry just should be a cool guy to get to know him to see how he did it
