10 Questions for Alyssa Perez, ASLMU President

The 2015-16 ASLMU Elections come to a close today. As her tenure as the current ASLMU president comes to a close, Alyssa Perez (above right) answers 10 questions about her experience in the campus’s top leadership position.

Perez, a senior political science major from Milpitas, and vice president Sofia Espinoza were elected in March 2014. Perez will graduate from LMU in May.

“ASLMU, in keeping with the Jesuit and Marymount tradition, empowers the voice of the students and actively promotes a vibrant campus life. Driven by integrity, we devote ourselves to being men and women for and with others.” What does this mission statement mean to you?

Our mission statement drives everything that we do in ASLMU. It means that we are committed to empowering student voice no matter what the issue is. We are not in office to push our own ideas and agendas through, but rather to respond to and be motivated by student concerns.

alyssa perez headshot 200x300 - 10 Questions for Alyssa Perez, ASLMU President
Alyssa Perez, ASLMU President

What was your first leadership position with ASLMU?

I joined ASLMU during my first few weeks at LMU as a member of the Social Justice Committee and Campus Community Committee. We hosted dialogues about social justice issues on campus, and reached out to the Westchester community for support on our events. My sophomore year is when I ran for a vacant seat in Senate and was motivated to run for President after that.

What is the most important thing you have learned as the President of ASLMU?

The most important thing that I have learned as President is how to be an effective leader. Leadership isn’t about the title, it is about helping other people in any way that you can and helping them to become better leaders themselves. I want to continue working in leadership roles in the future and to build relationships with as many people I can along the way. I have learned a lot about other people, especially about myself, and I now know how important it is to surround yourself with positive, motivated people.

What piece of advice would you give to prospective students looking to become involved with ASLMU?

We are constantly looking for people to get involved with ASLMU in order to get more input into our events and to help others to use their skills. ASLMU is a great community and you get to meet people from all around campus who come together because of their love for LMU. Sharing that passion together makes the time and effort worth it.

What has been the most meaningful experience you have encountered during your time spent in this position?

We do bonding activities outside of work in order to celebrate all that we have done together. One of these times I remember best was sharing dinner in the office and having a long discussion about homelessness. I remember being so proud of our team because it really showed how we weren’t just good at planning events or responding to student concerns, but we were also open to talking about and working through some of the bigger social injustices in our world today. It meant a lot to me knowing that I got to work alongside these amazing people, and it made me proud to know that they would be the leaders out in the world after they leave LMU.

Being ASLMU President has given me experience in empowering other people to use their voices and education to bring about change in their communities. I want to continue this work for the rest of my life.

What or who inspired you to run for ASLMU President?

I had been involved in ASLMU and it offered so many more involvements and opportunities to affect change on campus. I knew I wanted my chance to make a difference.

What is the most challenging part of this position?

The most challenging part has been trying to represent all student opinions. We are open and available to all students no matter what the issue is, but when it comes to making a decision about, for example, what kind of awareness campaigns to do, there is no way to please everyone. The key is to open up dialogues surrounding the issue and finding a common ground so that everyone can feel a connection to the work. This is never easy, but these types of healthy tensions will continue to be a part of any work I will do in the future. So learning how to facilitate these conversations has been a good life skill.

What do you plan to do after you graduate from LMU, and how do you think being president of ASLMU will benefit you in your future career?

Immediately after graduation, I plan to pursue two years of post-graduate service internationally. After participating in the CASA study abroad program last year, I have been inspired to continue work abroad. Then I hope to return to Washington D.C. and continue work in the non-profit sector working with youth and education. Being ASLMU President has given me experience in empowering other people to use their voices and education to bring about change in their communities. I want to continue this work for the rest of my life.

What other activities are you involved with on campus, and how did you balance your other commitments with being the ASLMU President?

I am a member of Belles Service Organization and of El Espejo executive board. I am also a student minister in Campus Ministry. All of my other involvements are so life giving for me, so finding a balance has not been as hard as I would have thought. But I am not stressed because I love each and every involvement that I am a part of. ASLMU has been such a great part of my senior year.

How has being the President of ASLMU benefited your college experience?

Being involved in ASLMU has allowed me the opportunity to meet so many more people including students and staff. These people and memories that I have will stay with me forever. This has been so much more than a job, even though I have learned valuable professional skills and met really great people that will help me network later on in my life. My relationship to LMU will not end here, and I am grateful for all of the opportunities I have had. Even though I am the first person in my family to go to college, I know that I will not be the last. I hope to share more of LMU with my family and children one day.

By NATHALIE RUBIN

Photo courtesy of Alyssa Perez