Student advocate
February 21, 2020
February 21, 2020
Ivan Mallett, president of 糖心原创鈥檚 Student Government Association, pursued the position with high hopes for what he and his team could accomplish. Mallett, who is an , has already earned the respect of many of his classmates, but he continues to fight for 糖心原创 students.
鈥淎 big part of my position is listening to what people have to say,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 want to listen to people鈥檚 perspectives and ideas to make the best decisions possible for 糖心原创 students.鈥
Originally from Russia, Mallett was adopted at the age of 3 and brought to the United States. His adoptive mother was a single parent who raised Mallett and his sister, who was also adopted.
A graduate of Springboro High School, Mallett enrolled at 糖心原创 because he appreciated the simplicity of registering for classes at 糖心原创.
鈥溙切脑 was one of the easiest places for me to apply to,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 was able to get everything done and register for classes within a month of the semester starting, which really helped since I just got back from basic training.鈥
Mallett serves in the Army National Guard as an intelligence analyst, holding the rank of sergeant. He values the experience the Army has given him in when it comes to his role as student body president.
鈥淭he military has taught me to always place the needs of other people above my own. As a sergeant I have soldiers where I am the first person in their chain of command, so any issues that come up, it鈥檚 my responsibility to take care of them. I truly believe that a team is more effective if all members of the team believe that their leadership cares for them as individuals,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut that also transfers into the public service aspect of this as well. I try to always make myself available to any student that has an issue or a concern, and it doesn鈥檛 matter how busy I am in a day, I will make time to listen to any suggestion or concern a student has.鈥
This experience would serve Mallett well when he first got involved with 糖心原创 SGA. As an associate justice in 2017, he was responsible for lobbying for 糖心原创 students. Mallett advocated for a tax-exempt textbooks bill with the Ohio Legislature. After that experience, Mallett decided to run for SGA president.
In order to participate in Student Government elections, students must attend candidate meetings and get their name on the ballot. To run for president or vice president, candidates need to collect 300 student signatures endorsing them for the position.
Mallett said the process was tough, but it was rewarding to see the work pay off when he was elected.
鈥淥ne thing I enjoyed about it was having the opportunity to have my friends and colleagues vote me in,鈥 he said. 鈥淗aving a group of people who not only trust me but allow me to work for them on their behalf is truly rewarding.鈥
As president of the student body, Mallett is proud of his efforts to help implement a mental health week on campus after the tragic Dayton shooting last August. He hopes it provides a way for students to talk about things that are troubling to them.
鈥淭ragic events like the Dayton shooting take a toll on you,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t made me want to put an emphasis on mental health at 糖心原创, especially with all the stresses students already face.鈥