Chester, Pa. -- Widener University in Chester, Pa. appointed an undergraduate student as president of the university – for a day.
Rachel Yenko-Martinka, a senior
biology (pre-vet) major and business management minor from Hopkins, Minn.
served as President-for-a-Day at Widener last week on March
26. Yenko-Martinka was the 12th student president of the university,
a tradition started by Dr. James T. Harris III when he became president of
Widener in 2002.
Yenko-Martinka was selected from
among three finalists who gave presentations to a selection committee based on
what issue they would address if they were president of the university.
Yenko-Martinka addressed the issue of depression among students on a college
campus. She believes it is important for students to be aware of the resources
available on campus to help prevent and address any issues they may have.
As President-for-a-Day,
Yenko-Martinka had the opportunity to take action on this platform. She met
with the Crisis Management to discuss who students can get more involved with
marketing of existing resources. She also met with the leaders of the pluralism
campaign at the university where she helped formulate the vision for a task
force to take the lead on implementing an awareness campaign.
“Meeting people in positions of
power in the school was the most enlightening part of the day,” Yenko-Martinka
said. “When I actually met them, they were so supportive of the cause and
trying to make a genuine positive change at Widener. That was very, very
encouraging as a student, and for the future of the university.”
As if her day wasn’t busy enough,
Yenko-Martinka also met with a potential donor, made an admissions decision
(she accepted them), and spent time with the mayor of Chester.
While Yenko-Martinka was running the
university, President Harris assumed her schedule, including psychology class,
voice lessons, student meetings, and lunch her friends. He will even be sported
her “blue-tipped hairdo.”
According to President Harris, the
President-for-a-Day initiative gives students hands-on leadership experience
and an inside look at how a university operates. For him, it’s an opportunity
to see the university from an undergraduate student perspective and to engage
the student population in an informal setting.
Photos from the day: https://www.flickr.com/photos/widener/sets/72157642968648743/
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