As students prepare to vote in the upcoming TRUSU election, candidates are presenting platforms rooted in similar concerns – affordability, access to services, and student voice.
While their priorities overlap, the candidates themselves have different approaches to leadership, shaped by their on-campus experiences. From calls for stronger community connections to demands for transparency and accessibility, this year’s race offers students a choice not just in representatives, but in how those representatives intend to act.
Building connections beyond campus
For second-year computing science student, Fazil Padaniya, the role of student leadership extends beyond university boundaries.
“Over the past year, I’ve realized that being a TRU student also means being part of the Kamloops community,” he writes in his candidacy statement for his campaign as Community Affairs Committee Representative.
Padaniya’s platform centres on strengthening ties between students and the broader Kamloops community, particularly through partnerships with local businesses. He points to the potential for more meaningful student discounts and increased collaboration to ease financial pressure while also building a strong sense of belonging.
“I want to work towards meaningful student discounts with local businesses–discounts that genuinely help students save money,” he writes.
His campaign reflects a service-oriented approach, focusing on the tangible benefits students can access in their daily lives while also expanding their connection to the city.
Transparency and student voices in decision-making
Fourth-year arts student Levi Escobar is taking a different approach, placing transparency and representation at the centre of his campaign for University Affairs Committee Executive member. Escobar frames the role as a bridge between students and university leadership, one where student voices should play a more active role in shaping academic decisions. Emphasizing the importance of ensuring student concerns are consistently brought forward in post-secondary conversations, rather than being overlooked. His campaign also highlights accessibility and responsiveness, positioning himself as a representative students can directly engage with.
“I’m running… because students shouldn’t be left out of conversations that affect everyday life at TRU,” Escobar writes.
His platform centres on ensuring student concerns are brought directly into university-level discussions.
“If elected, I’ll keep two things front and center: listening to students and pushing for transparency in how decisions are made.”
Escobar also stresses accessibility to leadership as a key part of that transparency.
“I won’t disappear once the votes are counted,” he adds. “I’ll be reachable, responsive, and ready to get answers you deserve.”
Running for the same position, Kayla Hermiston brings a governance-focused perspective, highlighting her experience within university structures.
“My time at TRU has been defined by a deep commitment to strengthening our campus community and ensuring students’ voices shape the decisions that affect them,” Hermiston writes.
Her platform emphasizes experience and collaboration, drawing on her work as a University Affairs Committee Representative and Student Caucus Member.
“I’ve consistently worked to bridge those spaces—advocating for transparency, collaboration, and student-centred solutions.”
Hermiston also points to her focus on long-term impact, particularly in equity, well-being, and academic success.
“My approach is grounded in listening, strategic thinking, and creating environments where students feel informed, empowered, and represented.”
Accessibility shaped by lived experience
For one candidate, advocacy is rooted in personal experience.
A Bachelor of Communications and Digital Journalism student majoring in public relations, Nada Abdelghaffar, is running for the Accessibility Representative position. She is centring her campaign on accessibility and inclusion – issues she encounters daily as a visually impaired student.
“As a visually impaired student, accessibility is not just an issue I deeply care about but one that shapes my everyday experiences,” she wrote.
Her involvement in the Student Success Committee and Accessibility Committee informs her platform, which focuses on identifying barriers and improving access to campus spaces, services, and events.
“I believe that accessibility is creating environments where everybody feels respected, welcomed and fully able to participate in campus life.”
Her campaign reflects a broader push to ensure that equity and inclusion remain central to student governance, particularly as campus populations become more diverse.
Equity and inclusion at the forefront
Equity and inclusion are also central themes in this year’s election, with candidates emphasizing the need for more accessible and representative campus spaces.
Graduate education student Omalicha Ani frames her approach around creating environments where all students feel heard and supported. Her platform for the Equity Committee Executive Member highlights practical approaches to inclusion, such as encouraging diverse perspectives and ensuring quieter voices are not overlooked in discussions.
“I hope to continue supporting equity by… strengthening communication between students and the committee, supporting initiatives that amplify underrepresented voices, and encouraging practical actions that make the campus community more welcoming,” Ani wrote, emphasizing a collaborative and thoughtful leadership style, rooted in openness and responsibility to the broader student community.
Also running for Equity Committee Executive Member, Yunisha Bist brings both lived experience and leadership background to her campaign.
“As an international student, she understands the importance of belonging, representation, and having safe spaces,” her statement reads.
Bist, who currently serves as the Racialized Persons Representative on the TRUSU Board of Directors, points to her involvement in initiatives such as ReconciliACTION, Pride events, and the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion lecture series.
“She believes equity should be practical, meaningful, and rooted in real action that supports students. She is committed to strengthening collaboration, raising awareness of equity issues, and ensuring that each individual feels respected, represented, and supported.”
Her campaign emphasizes accountability and continued advocacy, with a focus on ensuring students feel represented and supported across campus.
Together, their platforms reflect a shared emphasis on inclusion, but also highlight different approaches, from classroom-based community building to campus-wide advocacy and leadership.
As equity continues to shape conversations across campus, candidates in this race are positioning it not just as a value but as an active responsibility within student governance.
Leadership through presence and accountability
Abdus Samank, running for Community Affairs Committee Executive Member, is focusing on visibility and follow-through, emphasizing the importance of being present and responsive to student concerns. His platform points to ongoing concerns such as the university’s printing policy, framing it as an issue of fairness and access.
Drawing on experience organizing campus events such as the Back-To-School BBQ and Winter Fest, Samank highlights the importance of building community, but also acknowledges that leadership goes beyond event planning.
“Leadership is not only about celebration. It is also about paying attention when something impacts students.”
He positions himself as approachable and committed to accountability. “I want to be someone students can approach directly, speak to honestly, and trust to follow through.”
A shared focus, different paths forward
While each candidate brings a distinct perspective, common themes run throughout the election.
Affordability appears in calls for student discounts and financial support. Accessibility is framed both as a personal and systemic issue. Transparency and engagement are positioned as essential to rebuilding trust between students and their representatives.
What differs is how candidates propose to act, whether through community partnerships, institutional advocacy, service improvements, or direct engagement with students.
With voting beginning on March 23 at 9:00 a.m. and concluding on March 24 at 2:00 p.m., students must weigh not just which issues matter most but which approach they believe will make the greatest impact.
In a year marked by financial pressure and evolving student needs, the outcome of the TRUSU election will help shape how student voices are represented and how those concerns are turned into action.