The time spent on a student body presidential and vice presidential campaign are some of the most intimate moments people get to experience here on the 40 Acres, this campaign season in particular. There have been many long hours, endless nights, disagreements and moments of clarity. The defining tone of the campaign, however, is its leaders. It is the two people who have put their life on hold to build a team of strong, committed individuals, to craft a platform which can make real and measurable differences in students’ lives, and to develop a strategy that leads to victory. We, as a team of seasoned campaigners, students from many different niches of campus, knew we had something very special in the ticket of Kallen Dimitroff and Jesse Guadiana.
Kallen is unrelenting. She refuses to see anything as barriers, but rather challenges she faces head on. She juxtaposes her Greek life with her on-campus involvement and is a strong voice for underrepresented communities and the student body as a whole. From advocating for the protected bike lane on the Drag to passing a resolution in support of drug amnesty for students, Kallen has shown that experience in Student Government is an asset, not a liability.
Jesse is kind, diplomatic and persistent. His years of experience mobilizing communities of color have made him an incredibly effective advocate for many different communities on campus. But beyond that, we’ve seen Jesse’s raw power as a diplomat and a unifying figure, not only amongst the communities he represents but also in his work on this campaign. Through him, the idea for a first-generation camp was born — to give first-generation college students the resources they need to boost shockingly low retention rates.
We’ve poured hours into this campaign because we believe in Kallen and Jesse. We know that, come April, they will be the only executive alliance candidates who would truly advocate on behalf of students. From lobbying the City Council, to engaging the legislature, to accomplishing their targeted and realistic platform points — we know they can do it because we’ve seen them in their positions as leaders on this campus.
As a team, not limited to the three of us credited with writing this article, we know firsthand what kind of powerful leaders these two will be. It is the reason we choose to run with them; it is the reason our team is large and far-reaching; it is the reason that through three elections we will continue to advocate on their behalf. Kallen and Jesse have displayed positivity and tenacity and shown an unwavering commitment to a better, more inclusive campus. It is these qualities that have motivated us to write this piece on their behalf.
Today and tomorrow, you have the ability to chart your course for UT-Austin. We hope you’ll choose Kallen and Jesse because we know they will fulfill their promises. If you want a Student Government that will be tireless in their advocacy for you, the choice is clear. The choice is Dimitroff-Guadiana.
Fountain is a government senior from Pelham Manor, New York. Guzman is a liberal arts honors, government and Latin American studies junior from Azle, Texas. Ferguson is a government junior from Darien, Connecticut. They are members of the Dimitroff-Guadiana campaign team.
