Westminster student Juanita Galvis (’25), a marketing and international business double major and part of the Honors College program on campus, has been working as the Associated Students of Westminster (ASW) Vice President of Campus Affairs and providing support for Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) previously known as clubs and organizations, on campus. Her work supporting RSOs is primarily through meetings held once a month with RSO officers, providing them with resources to utilize funding, host events, and increase engagement. Additionally, Juanita is a crucial part of the RSO approval process, meeting with those who want to start a new RSO, along with approving all future funding requests they may have. Juanita believes that RSOs are incredibly valuable on campus, allowing students to form friendships and cultivate their passions through the Westminster community. She hopes that RSOs will act as a reflection of campus diversity and community.
When asked about the work she has done to streamline the RSO application process and offer additional assistance to provide RSO officers the most resources possible, Juanita cited the changes made to funding and making purchasing easier for RSO officers. These changes have allowed RSOs additional freedom and allow them to spend more time planning events to engage with the student body than they were previously offered.
“This year, we restructured my student government branch. There have been several changes, but the biggest ones are having two color funding tiers (Thistle, $400 per semester, and Copper, $100 per semester) and having new RSOs register through me, ASW advisor Jake Smith, and the ASW Chief Justice. This speeds up the process, allowing an RSO to start in 2-3 weeks, where in the past this process took up to a month or longer.”
Juanita encourages students to use RSOs as a chance to enhance their leadership skills, show their commitment to Westminster and its community, form lasting bonds, and share the passions you hold with others on campus. She emphasizes that through RSOs campus life is formed and cultivated.
“Without these communities, it would be very hard for students to live out their hobbies and interests and find other people that want to grow in them too. I am inspired to make this campus a place that sees diversity and differences as a strength. Various RSOs may be on opposite sides of a scale, but I think that it's beautiful because complexity reflects wholeness.”
Though Juanita will be graduating this spring, she hopes that RSOs will continue to grow, creating a better campus for all students. By holding more events, students become more excited, she hopes that students will be able to grow from the communities they take part of while at Westminster. Being part of ASW has inspired Juanita to become involved in other branches of campus, including speaking as the undergraduate feature at commencement. Through her commencement speech, Juanita hopes to share about how ASW and other areas of campus have given her the space to share her Colombian culture and advocate for multiculturalism and inclusivity on campus. Her experience as an ASW leader has given her leadership skills and a passion for student belonging, aspects she will honor in her speech.
“Westminster University supported every aspect of my identity. Here, I was not only a business student. I was a dancer, a student government leader, an honors student, a graphic designer, a club member, a world traveler, an advocate of justice, and a life-long learner.”
–Violet Czech ('26)
