Global Union President and Vice-President
Faatihah Nayeem (President)
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Hello friends!! My name is Faatihah Nayeem, and I am running for the position of Global Union President! I am a rising fourth-year Biotechnology major with an immersion in ethics, and the first woman in my family pursuing higher education. I was born and raised into a typical Bangladeshi, immigrant household where we lived in many homes from California to eventually settle in Scranton, Pennsylvania. I identify as a first-generation Bangladeshi, Muslim American woman, which has inspired my involvement in various areas on campus. I am currently the Director of Sisters Affairs for the MSA, and was their former Vice President and secretary. I am the ACA Director of Internal Affairs where I have had the pleasure of working alongside many of the multicultural clubs on campus from SASE to UHouse to Velocity. I am also an RA, a biology TA, a College of Science Ambassador, and HEOP tutor! If I’m not in the labs at the COS, you’ll probably see me at an event on campus all dressed up and enjoying the amazing food! I have found passion and purpose within every leadership position on campus, and I can’t wait to bring it to GU!!
Tahaara Gazali (VP)
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Hello Everyone! My name is Tahaara Gazali. I am a rising-third year Biomedical sciences running for Global Union Vice President. I was born In Somalia and immigrated to the US 9 years ago. As a first-generation college student, I have always been passionate about community engagement and Inclusivity for all. I am a member of MSA, ALANA, NSBE,GPHA and the College of Health Sciences and Technology. I have served as a Graphic Designer within the MSA E-board and as a Co-Facilitator in the RIT 365 program. My second home on campus is the SAU, where you can pretty much always find me if I am not in class! I am an active member of Barakah Muslim Charity which feeds over 500 families monthly. I participated in the Mayor’s Leadership program, which focused on diversifying and providing Inclusivity to all and actively engaging neighboring communities. Being at RIT for the last two years has allowed me to build bridges among people of diverse backgrounds, religions, and identities. As a result of my background, knowledge, and experiences, my goal is to emphasize Inclusivity, advocate for all students, act as a voice, grow, and diversify our RIT community while fostering a sense of camaraderie!!
Anupa (Bishnu) Biswa (Treasurer)
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Hello everyone! My name is Bishnu Biswa (Anupa), and I am running to be the Global Union treasurer. I am a third-year biomedical science major with an immersion in Spanish. I was born in a refugee camp in Nepal and immigrated to Rochester, NY, at the age of nine. I graduated from Our Lady of Mercy High School, where I learned the importance of service, leadership, and unity. I am a first-generation Nepali college student. Currently, I am the secretary of the Global Public Health Association, which recently became an affiliate of GU, a committee member of the Biomedical Sciences Mentorship Program, and a HEOP tutor. I have been a team manager and treasurer for Zindagi, RIT’s premier Bollywood fusion dance team. I am also an active member of various clubs on campus including the badminton club, ALANA, MSA, and Astronomy Club. Throughout my three years at RIT, I've had the opportunity to create connections with people from various backgrounds, religions, and cultures. I enjoy reading, specifically supernatural fiction novels, riding bikes, and watching anime. I am also a nerd when it comes to anything related to space. A fun fact about me is that I have two names and two birthdays!
Platform
Dear Tigers, as candidates for the Global Union elections, we are dedicated to strengthening the international students and the cultural organizations at RIT through our mission to redefine the phrase "home." As international students and students coming to college with diverse cultures from all around the world, our cabinet strives to create a home away from home—because home isn’t a place; it’s people. In order to establish a sustainable organization, our goal is to focus on three steps: diversify, solidify, and multiply. As women of color who are all actively involved in a wide range of multicultural clubs at RIT, we value inclusivity and diversity within our E-board and our affiliates. To fairly support all of our old affiliates, new affiliates, and dormant affiliates, we intend to broaden the range of clubs and their programming. In order to build a system that will be reliable moving forward, we intend to solidify GU’s internal procedures. Transparency in finances is crucial for any organization. We'll work to create a finance committee as a cabinet, tasked with enhancing how money is handled and distributed. This committee will oversee proper funding distribution and transparent, accountable financial transactions. In order to increase familiarity with us and what's happening at GU, we also intend to hold monthly face-to-face socials with our affiliates and students! Most importantly, we want to multiply our interaction with affiliates and international students through more outreach and marketing. We plan to create a marketing committee to promote more partnerships with other campus organizations to broaden our influence and impact. We want to foster participation and engagement among students, as we intend to educate them on certain global issues around the world and participate in global community service events on and even off campus. We believe that international students are an integral part of our college community, and we intend to work towards improving their experience by creating an International Student Committee. This committee will provide support to international students to address their concerns and provide resources, such as increased international student research grants. We pledge to increase the impact and effectiveness of our program and be the liaison for our international students and affiliates. With these initiatives, we believe we’ll build a more welcoming and encouraging college community, so you could say that GU was your RIT home! We appreciate your support and are eager to represent you in the student government!