Candidate Profiles
Austin Rogers, Fourth Year
Military Affiliation: Veteran and Current Service Members
Seeking Consideration for the Following Positions:
President
Why do you want to run for the listed positions?
I want to finish what I started when I was president a couple of years ago. I want nothing but the best for the VMC students at Iowa and I will give it my all so that the VAI can succeed
Please highlight any previous leadership experience in the VAI, other student organizations, or jobs you have held:
Vice President and President of the VAI, Team Leader Army/Iowa National Guard
Identify the strengths you will bring to this position:
Hardwork, communication, teamwork, and a 100% bought in mentality.
Aditya Patel, Fourth Year
Military Affiliation: Current Service Member
Seeking Consideration for the Following Positions:
Vice President
Why do you want to run for the listed positions?
I want to run for Vice President because being part of the veteran and military-connected community means a lot to me personally. As someone currently serving in the Iowa Army National Guard, I've experienced firsthand how challenging it can be to balance school, service, and everything else. Because of that, I really care about making sure students like us feel supported and connected on campus.
This organization isn't just another club to me, I believe it's a community. I want to help build that sense of belonging even more, especially for students who might feel overwhelmed or unsure where they fit in. I think the Vice President role is a great way for me to do that by helping organize things behind the scenes, supporting the President, and making sure our committees are actually working together and making an impact.
I also genuinely want to grow as a leader and give back to a community that I’m proud to be a part of. I'm someone who is reliable, easy/friendly to work with, and willing to step up when needed, and I'd really put in the effort to help make this organization stronger for everyone.
Please highlight any previous leadership experience in the VAI, other student organizations, or jobs you have held:
On campus, I've been actively involved in organizations like Applied AI, the Iowa Accounting Society, Hawktrade Investment Club, and the Indian Student Alliance. Through these groups, I've worked on team-based projects, collaborated with different types of people, be a Liason for Acapella Competitions, and stayed involved in professional development and networking opportunities. I try to step up by helping organize ideas, keeping teams on track, and making sure everyone is contributing.
Balancing my involvement in these organizations along with school and military responsibilities has taught me how to manage my time, stay organized, and follow through on commitments. Overall, my leadership experience comes from being reliable, working well with others, and leading by example, and I’m excited to bring those qualities into a leadership role within VAI..
Identify the strengths you will bring to this position:
One of my biggest strengths is reliability and hard-work. I take my commitments seriously and always follow through. I also bring strong teamwork and communication skills from my experience in the National Guard and campus organizations, where I've learned how to work with different people and keep things moving forward.
I'm very organized and able to manage multiple responsibilities, and always try to do my best which helps me stay on top of tasks and deadlines. Most importantly, I genuinely care about this community and want to make sure members feel supported, included, and connected.
Emyleigh Bagshaw, Third Year
Military Affiliation: Dependent or Spouse of Veteran or current service members
Seeking Consideration for the Following Positions:
Secretary
Why do you want to run for the listed positions?
I am not a veteran so I cannot run for some of the positions, and I feel out of the ones I could apply for secretary fit me best. I am also trying to get more involved in my community in general because I've felt disconnected from it recently. My father is a retired vet and would be very proud of me if I did this as well!
Please highlight any previous leadership experience in the VAI, other student organizations, or jobs you have held:
I am a daycare worker so I am constantly in a place of leadership with the children, I also was the first chair in band for a year and lead my section many times in high school. My senior year of show choir there were not dance captains, but I was often looked to for questions the new director had or other members had
Identify the strengths you will bring to this position:
I am enthusiastic and empathetic! I always bring energy to the place I am in and feel passionate about the human beings around me. I always strive to understand, learn, and grow as an individual as I see that as the best part of being a human being.
Hannah Schaufele
Military Affiliation: Dependent or Spouse of Veteran or current service members
Seeking Consideration for the Following Positions:
Secretary
Why do you want to run for the listed positions?
I want to run for secretary of the VAI to help and be a part of something different, and have a role more than just being a part of the group. I believe that I would be a strong candidate for this position to help and make everyone else's lives easier with my organization and attention to detail. I want to run for this position because I want to build real leadership qualities in something that is important and can really impact things happening around me. I also believe that this experience would look great to a future employer, showing that I have leadership qualities and note-taking, organization, and time management skills, which are all the requirements to be good at this position. It will also help me enhance those skills that I already have. Having been a part of the VAI for almost 2 years, I want to now see what it looks like from the inside and get experience in a role rather than just being an observer. Overall, I know I will be a great person for this position due to m
Please highlight any previous leadership experience in the VAI, other student organizations, or jobs you have held:
I am a chairholder on 3 councils for the University of Iowa,
1. Family Issues Committee
2. Committee on Financial Aid Advisory Charter
3. Council on Teaching Charter
These positions require bi-monthly meetings where we go over ways to better the university. For the Council on Teaching, we give awards that require hours spent outside of the meetings, going over and ranking nominations. For family issues, we work on finding ways to help families on campus, whether that's students or staff. Right now, I am a part of leading a group trying to connect the School of Education and this committee to find babysitters for staff who have children in the surrounding schools, since sometimes days off don't always line up. For financial aid, we go over the aid that is provided to the students and see how we can improve the university.
I am also a part of other clubs on campus.
1. Green bandana, which is a mental health organization
2. Big Brothers’ big sisters of Johnson County, which is a group of people who work to connect older students with children who might need a little help, we go to events with our littles or just volunteer at the events.
3. Aspiring educators, which is a club for people going into education
4. Hawkeye teacher ambassadors, which is a group that plans and holds events to bring together future teachers. We also have a table at visit days and orientation to answer questions for potential Hawkeyes.
Other things to note.
1. I am a student worker for the VA
2. I nanny during the summer
My highschool leadership experience:
1. Varsity captain for Field hockey for 2 years
2. Varsity captain for soccer for 2 years
3. Varsity captain for Basketball for 1 year
Identify the strengths you will bring to this position:
I believe that my organization and attention to detail will be a strong asset to the exec board; my background in teaching, and the other clubs and committees that I am on, will give me the strength I need to keep things organized and available when they are needed. I believe that all of my leadership positions help you to see that I can be a leader and help in any spot that I am needed. I also believe that my ability to speak to a group of people will be a strong help in my position, as it will be easier to relay meeting information to the group. Overall, adding me to the team, I will be able to bring in strong leadership, organization, note-taking, time management, and public speaking skills, which will improve the quality of the organization.
Position Descriptions
- President: The duties of the Commanding Officer include calling and chairing all meetings, preparing the agendas, representing the official position of the organization to the University and all external individuals and groups, delegating responsibilities, and any other duties that the membership might assign
- Vice President: The Executive Officer shall fulfill the duties assigned by the President. In case of a vacancy in the President, the Vice President will assume the duties of the President until a special election can be held to fill the President position. The Vice President serves in an advisory role to the President. The Vice President shall be the oversee and manage all Committee Chairs.
- Treasurer: The Treasurer shall handle all financial transactions, keep the financial records of the organization, ensure the organization is meeting all University policies, and federal and state laws. The Treasurer will also make periodic reports to membership. The Treasurer shall fulfill other duties as assigned by the President, Vice President, or Secretary.
- Secretary: The Secretary shall fulfill duties assigned by the President or Vice President, manage tasks assigned to other executive Council members, and to assume the duties of Vice President in case of vacancy. The Secretary shall record and keep the minutes of all meetings and shall make those minutes available to any member upon request. The Secretary shall make and distribute copies of the minutes according to policy established by the elected officers. The Secretary shall be responsible for gathering, keeping, and reading all data collected about the organization.
- Director of Communications: The Director of Communications shall fulfill duties assigned by the President or Vice President, manage tasks assigned to other executive Council members. The Director of Communications shall be responsible for all marketing and strategic communications. Director of Communications shall be responsible for the maintenance and design of the organization’s website and social media accounts. Director of Communications will work closely with local media outlets to distribute media content for all of the organizations events.
- USG Liaison: The USG Liaison shall serve as a representative for the VAI to the USG as a liason. Must be able to attend weekly Tuesday meetings at the IMU.