By: Mia Winters, Class of ’30, Marketing Major
It’s an exciting time to be a student at St. Norbert College. Leaves are falling and the first semester of the 2026-2027 academic year is in full swing. For most students, navigating the first few months of a new year means establishing a routine, exploring student organizations, finding hidden study spots, and making it through midterms. However, for five first-year honors students living in Bergstrom Hall, this fresh start also means undertaking the honor of serving as first-year representatives in the St. Norbert College Student Government Association (SGA). This fundamental organization provides a voice for the student body and takes charge of items that matter to the population, providing an excellent opportunity for the new representatives to find meaningful involvement.
After intense campaigning to gain votes from their fellow first-year students, Dominic Santine ‘30, Claire Schaefer ‘30, Patrick Short ‘30, Mia Winter ‘30, and Ruby Nass ‘30 were elected the opportunity to serve their peers together—a unique coincidence, considering their universal status as honors students and resulting close bond. The feeling of communio is strong in Bergstrom Hall this year, so it’s no surprise the group was thrilled to run the race together. Dominic Santine ‘30, a business administration major, who was elected with a hard-earned 74.5% of votes, is looking forward to tackling important issues with his fellow Bergstrom residents. He noted, “I’m most excited to see what we can get done this semester in SGA. I believe that we all have amazing individual qualities that will allow us to work together at a higher level.” For these five students, it was truly a perfect storm of factors—taking on an exciting opportunity like Student Government is much better when it can be done with friends. Whether it’s impromptu meetings in the Bergstrom kitchen or walking to General Assembly meetings together, the close communio of the entire Bergstrom building has translated over into the SGA group. Occasionally, you’ll even find them grabbing breakfast together in Ruth’s Marketplace after General Assembly meetings on Tuesday mornings!
Even though the five first-year representatives are only about a month into their term, they have been keeping themselves very busy. Between weekly meetings, getting to work on their different internal committees, doing outreach events, and planning their Emerging Leaders event, these students have been taking their roles in stride and are excited to see where the year takes them. Each representative has a number of ideas they plan to pursue throughout the year and hopefully turn into real change. When discussing the opportunity to make real change on campus through the Student Government Association, Biology major Claire Schaefer ‘30 highlighted, “SGA allows student voices the opportunity to collaborate on issues that are important to the student body. For example, SGA has ensured more meatless options are offered in the Cafeteria on Fridays. I’m looking forward to making similar impacts through my role in SGA and can’t wait to get to work!”
While their Student Government Association journeys are just beginning, the representatives have already learned an incredible amount—especially from their fellow representatives. As they’ve navigated challenges and triumphs, the guidance of psychology major and Junior Class Representative Betsy Finger ‘28 has been particularly invaluable. With her mentorship, the five first-years hosted a trivia night on campus featuring prizes and lots of fun. “Betsy’s mentorship has been instrumental in facilitating our group decision-making process and pushing us to persevere through obstacles. It has been wonderful to get the perspective of someone who is established in SGA and the SNC community. We have all learned a lot from her,” Schaefer expressed.
It seems as though the first-year representatives hailing from Bergstrom Hall are off to a great start with their new roles. With their drive, connection, and a little help from their peers, it can be said, without a doubt, that they will leave a memorable impact on St. Norbert College. Three cheers for our honors students taking on Student Government!
