Anastasia Lettieri

Program: Honours Law, with a minor in History and Criminology & Criminal Justice, Third-Year

Question 1: I believe that I would be an excellent candidate to be considered as a Student Governor because:

As the current Undergraduate Governor seeking re-election, I am committed and eager to continue my work on the Board. In my role, I have represented the voices of our diverse student population, which include, international students, students with disabilities, visible minority students, female students, and LGBTQ2+ students from a wide range of faculties and programs. As the pandemic continues to disrupt the workings of our University, it is important to ensure that the issues most important to the student body are heard and reflected at an administrative level. Students are still facing pandemic-related challenges in addition to everyday academic stressors, such as financial struggles, racism, discrimination, intolerance, mental illness, and online learning frustrations. A skilled, transparent, accountable, connected, and experienced Student Governor is necessary to facilitate academic and financial supports that will not only better the education of students, but the academic environment they need to strive in more broadly.

This year my policies on the Board have focused on guaranteeing accessibility to resources, services, and opportunities for students to be healthy, successful, and safe on and off campus. By maintaining strong relationships with student associations on campus through outreach meetings, engaging with students on a daily basis to discuss my work, and increasing the publicity of the Board’s work through monthly CUSA reports and via social media, I have been able to raise awareness, garner support, amend outdated policies, and foster new proposals. This collaborative approach has created a stronger Carleton dynamic amongst students who benefit from a joint vision to provide a meaningful platform for those who feel unheard; I will continue building these relationships with student unions, associations, clubs, and societies in my second term to further ensure that the University is held accountable to our needs.

I am currently working with the Board and fellow student leaders to review the Sexual Assault Policy and other endeavors, such as environmental sustainability policies, budgetary policies, tuition rebate proposals, and safe-reopening plans. I will continue to prioritize a budget that is in the best interest of the student body, especially one that accounts for the dissatisfaction students have experienced through online learning. A second term will allow me to see my work through and to further represent the concerns of students in an experienced manner. I have taken my position on the Board very seriously and am determined to provide students with the level of education they deserve. I thank students for trusting me to be their voice and look forward to serving on the Board of Governors for another year of focused and dedicated leadership.

To learn more about my work on the Board and my aspirations for a second term, please go to my Instagram account @anastasialettieri.

Question 2: I have the following skills and experiences which would be beneficial in my role as Student Governor:

From my term on the Board of Governors I have gained many skills that will benefit me in a second term which include, but are not limited to, understanding financial and administrative documents and rhetoric, being well-prepared and committed during meetings, formulating powerful and meaningful questions, developing strategic opportunities, and more. This experience will allow me to begin my second term fully trained on my role and responsibilities so as to focus solely on continuing my significant contributions to the Board.

My involvement on campus has also provided me with the experience necessary to understand the ground-level needs of a diverse range of students and to better recognize the issues most important to them; over the past three years I have served as a faculty representative on Carleton’s Academic Student Government, a Frosh Facilitator, a Vice President on a student-led club, an Alternative Spring Break participant, and a Students as Partners employee. Through these, I have been given the opportunity to collaborate with students and faculty to learn about the reasonable expectations students have of receiving the highest quality of education during the start of their academic careers and beyond. These experiences have allowed me to approach Board-related work in a relevant, sincere, and articulate fashion.

Additionally, the skills I have acquired from my professional work have also been an asset for my role on the Board; I have worked as a Member’s Assistant on Parliament Hill, as well as a Bookkeeper and Teacher’s Assistant at a private educational institution. These occupational experiences have provided me with the knowledge and resources to best understand the work of the Board and its importance, as well as to work professionally alongside its members.

Question 3: If elected to the Board, what would you like to gain from the experience and/or what skills would you like to further develop?

If re-elected, I would like to further develop my ability to interpret University documents in a way that best accounts for all students on campus; this will be done through further collaboration with my Board contacts and resources. I would also like to continue developing my experience working with other student leaders and groups on campus to facilitate a collaborative approach to purposeful change for the undergraduate population.

I have learned a lot about the issues facing marginalized students on campus and will remain invested in listening to how I can be an ally or support system for them by continuing open, consistent, and transparent communication. Through my re-election to the Board, I am eager to enhance the work done on behalf of students using the experience gained during my current term. I am also looking forward to supporting new Student Governors during their transition into the role so that we may continue to have a united effort on behalf of those we represent.