Your Graduate Student Association Candidates

The 2023-2034 Election of the Graduate Students Association Board will include nine candidates from various disciplines across UCF to run for president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary next week.

Voting will occur online between May 1 and May 3 and certified on May 4, with an announcement of the new GSA board later that day.

Check your Knights email on May 1 for the link to vote or the College of Graduate Studies social channels.

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Presidential Candidates

Sarah Bousfield

My name is Sarah Bousfield, I am an active graduate student in the History Department working on my MA in History – Public History Track. I received a bachelor’s in history with a minor in anthropology from UCF last May 2022. I am interested in running for President of the GSA Board.

Randi Fine and I are interested in serving together. We have written a platform that we both are incredibly passionate about written below:

At the beginning of our Graduate School careers, the history department orientation discussed the expectations of Graduate School and the structure that each semester would follow. However, there was a lack of transparency regarding the resources available to students in the history department, especially for students who attend classes at night. While this program was marketed as commuter friendly and one a working student could access, we found ourselves without access to a support network or system available to us. This was due to our program having classes in the evening. This left us feeling severely disadvantaged and without a proper understanding of the different amenities and resources available to all students on campus. By joining the Graduate Student Association, we hope to implement a transition network from undergraduate to graduate coursework, as well as throughout the graduate process that would expand the already present graduate support group (which is currently only available in the mornings to day students and not accessible to night class students). Creating literature for graduate orientation programs that introduces what is available on campus for graduate students, the location, and hours of operation. We also seek to expand awareness of the importance of communication within the cohorts, as peers are vital resources, not just academically but also as one’s social network. Finally, we also hope to include more information on how to network, speak to professors, and the expectations for professional advancement (including conduct at conferences, grant writing, and the creation of professional CVs).

Jared Freedline

As President of the Graduate Student Association, I aim to show leadership for our Graduate students by planning and organizing new events and programs to support our Graduate Students at UCF. To support these new events and programs and to continue the existing programs, I will meet with local leaders to create fundraisers to fund the future success of our UCF Graduate students during and after their time at UCF. I will make sure that our meetings will be accessible to all Graduate Students by providing the weekly meetings through Zoom and in person so that all knights can provide their import on how we can create the best-run Graduate Student Association that serves the student’s success for their future education after UCF.

As President, I will charge in the face of challenges that impacts our Graduate Students and find solutions to these future problems that I would face during my time as your President.

Jared Freedline is currently enrolled full-time in the History MA – Public History Track.

Sidrah Tufail

My name is Sidrah Tufail. I am an international student from Pakistan and I have an International Relations bachelor’s degree from International Islamic University. I began my journey at UCF in the “Intensive English Language” certificate program in December 2021 with UCF Global. It was a transition period in my life because my culture does not allow girls to be educated or to study abroad. However, my parents took the initiative to support me in my higher education pursuits. Thanks to their efforts, I could continue my studies at UCF in the Political Science master’s program at the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs.

The most challenging aspect of my studies has been navigating the language barrier, discovering new words, and learning to interact with people with different accents. The native language of Pakistan is “Urdu,” which is like Hindi, but quite different from English and Arabic. However, I worked day and night to overcome these challenges, which has allowed me to succeed here at UCF. I aim to help other graduate students succeed as well.

My greatest strength is my quick decision-making during unexpected situations and my ability to multitask. I have a profound connection with spirituality that keeps me calm during moments of stress and when I am feeling overburdened with work. My composure has helped me in many situations, including when I participated in seminars, workshops, and sports activities at my previous university in Pakistan. Recently, I was a keynote speaker during the graduation ceremony at UCF Global.

In my spare time, I work in the student union and volunteer with Jumpstart AmeriCorps while I work towards a certificate with the US Institute of Diplomacy and Human Rights (USIDHR). Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies, as I love participating in cultural activities and festivals. After graduating, my dream is to become a Human Rights Consultant, working with the United Nations Organization to help people around the world.

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Vice Presidential Candidates

Javed Ali

My name is Javed Ali, and I am a graduate research assistant and PhD Candidate in Civil Engineering. I earned my undergraduate degree in Agricultural Engineering, with an emphasis on Water Resources Engineering, from G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in India.

I pride myself on being an active and engaged member of the UCF community, serving as the President of the IAHR UCF Young Professionals Network, a Global Peer Leader, an Ambassador for UCF, and a Global Student Ambassador. In these roles, I have supported and mentored fellow UCF students. I also serve as an AGU Thriving Earth Exchange Community Scientist and work as a Lead Scientist with the Duwamish River Valley Community in Washington and the Anthropocene Alliance, Vice President at Water Youth Network, Chair of the Outreach Committee at American Geophysical Union’s Hydrology Section Student Subcommittee and Vice President (Marketing) at the Scholastic Association of Graduates in Engineering (SAGE).

Before joining UCF, I gained a lot of valuable international experience. I received a highly coveted fellowship from the European Commission to complete a joint master’s degree program in Water Science and Engineering, specializing in Flood Risk Management, at major European universities in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Slovenia. I also worked at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France as a researcher and served as a consultant on Open Modelling and Urban Flooding at the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (World Bank).

With the goal of leveraging my unique perspective and expertise to advocate for the graduate community at UCF, I am excited to be a Vice President candidate for the Graduate Student Association. My international background, interdisciplinary education, and research experiences have provided me with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities that graduate students face. In the Vice President role, I will actively collaborate with key campus partners to develop and implement initiatives that address the diverse needs of our graduate students. I aim to create a thriving environment for all by gathering feedback, encouraging open dialogue, and fostering a sense of connection within the graduate community.

I express my unwavering dedication to positively impacting the UCF graduate community through my leadership roles in various organizations and my devotion to advocating for others. As a recent recipient of the prestigious Order of Pegasus award, which recognizes my efforts and commitment to the institution, I am confident that my contributions to the Graduate Student Association will be invaluable. I am deeply passionate about fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for all graduate students, regardless of their backgrounds or disciplines. Furthermore, I recognize the importance of promoting graduate student wellness and nurturing strong relationships between students and faculty. Through my steadfast commitment and collaborative approach, I aspire to elevate the Graduate Student Association and contribute to the ongoing success of our graduate students at UCF.

Randi Fine

My name is Randi Fine, I am an active graduate student in the History Department working on my MA in History. I am interested in running for Vice President of the GSA Board. 

Sarah Bousfield is running for president, and she and I are interested in serving together. We have written a platform that we are both incredibly passionate about written below. 

At the beginning of our Graduate School careers, the history department orientation discussed the expectations of Graduate School and the structure that each semester would follow. However, there was a lack of transparency regarding the resources available to students in the history department especially for students who attend classes at night. While this program was marketed as commuter friendly and one a working student could access, we found ourselves without access to a support network or system available to us. This was due to our program having classes in the evening. This left us feeling severely disadvantaged and without a proper understanding of the different amenities and resources available to all students on campus. By joining the Graduate Student Advisory Board, we hope to implement a transition network from undergraduate to graduate coursework, as well as throughout the graduate process that would expand the already present graduate support group (which is currently only available in the mornings to day students and not accessible to night class students). Creating literature for graduate orientation programs that introduces what is available on campus for graduate students, its location, and hours of operation. We also seek to expand awareness of the importance of communication within the cohorts, as peers are vital resources, not just academically but also as one’s social network. Finally, we also hope to include more information on how to network, speak to professors, and the expectations for professional advancement (including conduct at conferences, grant writing, and the creation of professional CVs). 

Jared Freedline

As Vice President of the Graduate Student Association, I aim to show leadership with our President for our Graduate students by planning and organizing new events and programs to support our Graduate Students at UCF. To support these new events and programs and to continue the existing programs, I will meet with local leaders with our President to create fundraisers to fund the future success of our UCF Graduate students during and after their time at UCF. I will make sure that our meetings will be accessible to all Graduate Students by providing the weekly meetings through Zoom and in person so that all knights can provide their import on how we can create the best-run Graduate Student Association that serves the student’s success for their future education after UCF.

As Vice President, I will charge in the face of challenges that impact our Graduate Students and find solve these future problems I will face as your Vice President.

Jared Freedline is currently enrolled full-time in the History MA – Public History Track.

Dhanya Nair

Dhanya Nair is running for vice president and is currently enrolled full-time in the Survey Research Graduate Certificate. Nair’s platform is to reorient the conversation back to the educational institution UCF, its purpose and mission, and the students we serve. Ensuring all voices have a platform to express their concerns. Establishing a better communication system between staff, instructors, and students.

Benny Tang

My name is Benny Tang, and I am a doctoral student studying Industrial Engineering at UCF. I love academia because of all the opportunities it gives me to actively listen to other students as well as my mentors to grow into a stronger professional. I have work experience in the defense industry at Lockheed Martin, where I worked in program management. I have also worked in the healthcare industry at AdventHealth, where I trained nurses using medical simulation equipment. My platform for Graduate Student Association Vice President is focused on three pillars of performance which consist of active listening, professional partnerships, and student outreach. Every leader must have listening skills, but a great leader has great active listening skills. They can listen to a problem and bring forth solutions that will drive results. I have developed my active listening skills by working in two distinct industries: defense and healthcare. One of the major reasons why Graduate students choose to go to graduate school is to expand their professional network. As VP of GSA, I will be bringing more professional partnerships to the UCF graduate school community to ensure that graduate students will have great professional opportunities in the future.

Lastly, I want my platform to also focus on student outreach. I want to reach out to undergraduate students and make them Interested in graduate school education at UCF. I also want to have more viability in the graduate student community so that every graduate student feels more connected to one another.

Sidrah Tufail

My name is Sidrah Tufail. I am an international student from Pakistan and I have an International Relations bachelor’s degree from International Islamic University. I began my journey at UCF in the “Intensive English Language” certificate program in December 2021 with UCF Global. It was a transition period in my life because my culture does not allow girls to be educated or to study abroad. However, my parents took the initiative to support me in my higher education pursuits. Thanks to their efforts, I could continue my studies at UCF in the Political Science master’s program at the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs.

The most challenging aspect of my studies has been navigating the language barrier, discovering new words, and learning to interact with people with different accents. The native language of Pakistan is “Urdu,” which is like Hindi, but quite different from English and Arabic. However, I worked day and night to overcome these challenges, which has allowed me to succeed here at UCF. I aim to help other graduate students succeed as well.

My greatest strength is my quick decision-making during unexpected situations and my ability to multitask. I have a profound connection with spirituality that keeps me calm during moments of stress and when I am feeling overburdened with work. My composure has helped me in many situations, including when I participated in seminars, workshops, and sports activities at my previous university in Pakistan. Recently, I was a keynote speaker during the graduation ceremony at UCF Global.

In my spare time, I work in the student union and volunteer with Jumpstart AmeriCorps while I work towards a certificate with the US Institute of Diplomacy and Human Rights (USIDHR). Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies, as I love participating in cultural activities and festivals. After graduating, my dream is to become a Human Rights Consultant, working with the United Nations Organization to help people around the world.

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Treasurer Candidates

Kevin Chan

My name is Kevin Chan. I am a doctoral student in electrical engineering, and I would like to serve in the effort to bring back the Graduate Student Association as Treasurer.

I was a founding member of SAGE, an RSO dedicated to serving graduate students in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. While serving as Treasurer and President of SAGE, I learned to navigate the funding process for UCF and SG, and we learned by trial and error how to plan and fund diverse events for our community.

I hope to provide the same assistance for the GSA, using my experience to support the rest of the board, allowing us to move forward quickly and aggressively. After over a year of absence, it is important for GSA to establish its presence quickly and to once again be a prominent part of the UCF graduate student community. Graduate students are a vast community with diverse needs, and the only way to serve everyone and build a united community is to reach out to students early and start talking to them. I plan to use my prior RSO experience to ensure that the GSA is prepared to fund and host outreach and social events as early as the next fall Graduate Student Orientation and First Knight. By establishing a regular presence as people are settling into their new schedules, we can become a regular part of their lives at UCF and start bringing graduate students together as a community.

Jared Freedline

As Treasurer of the Graduate Student Association, I aim to show financial responsibility in creating budgets that support our knights in the Graduate program at UCF. I will make a budget that promotes knights in reaching out to present their work and the work that future students can show the rest of the world what a Knight can do at UCF. I will support new fundraisers so that we can keep the work that our knights in the UCF Graduate program are doing that changes our world for the better.

As Treasurer, I will charge in the face of challenges that impact our Graduate Students and find solutions to these future problems I will face as your Treasurer.

Jared Freedline is currently enrolled full-time in the History MA – Public History Track.

Sidrah Tufail

My name is Sidrah Tufail. I am an international student from Pakistan, and I have an International Relations bachelor’s degree from International Islamic University. I began my journey at UCF in the “Intensive English Language” certificate program in December 2021 with UCF Global. It was a transition period in my life because my culture does not allow girls to be educated or to study abroad. However, my parents took the initiative to support me in my higher education pursuits. Thanks to their efforts, I could continue my studies at UCF in the Political Science master’s program at the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs.

The most challenging aspect of my studies has been navigating the language barrier, discovering new words, and learning to interact with people with different accents. The native language of Pakistan is “Urdu,” which is like Hindi, but quite different from English and Arabic. However, I worked day and night to overcome these challenges, which has allowed me to succeed here at UCF. I aim to help other graduate students succeed as well.

My greatest strength is my quick decision-making during unexpected situations and my ability to multitask. I have a profound connection with spirituality that keeps me calm during moments of stress and when I am feeling overburdened with work. My composure has helped me in many situations, including when I participated in seminars, workshops, and sports activities at my previous university in Pakistan. Recently, I was a keynote speaker during the graduation ceremony at UCF Global.

In my spare time, I work in the student union and volunteer with Jumpstart AmeriCorps while I work towards a certificate with the US Institute of Diplomacy and Human Rights (USIDHR). Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies, as I love participating in cultural activities and festivals. After graduating, my dream is to become a Human Rights Consultant, working with the United Nations Organization to help people around the world. 

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Secretary Candidates

Naomie Castin

Hello! My name is Naomie Castin, and I am running for the position of Secretary in our school’s Graduate Student Association. If elected, I would like to support GSA by bringing more social activities to the UCF graduate student body and creating more opportunities for graduate students to get involved on campus. I will work diligently to ensure your voices are heard among the larger Student Government Association. I believe that GSA should be a tool for the graduate student population to get to know each other better across departments and studies. Our time at UCF is an amazing opportunity to not only advance our careers but also to meet great minds and form genuine bonds. I would like to help you take advantage of this opportunity by serving as your secretary on the 2023-2024 Executive Board.

A bit about me: I was born and raised in Central Florida, and I am currently a master’s in business administration student at UCF. In my free time, I enjoy figure skating, reading, writing, and the great outdoors. This university has so many resources, and I want to collaborate with other student leaders to promote initiatives to support and improve graduate student life on campus.

Jared Freedline

As Secretary of the Graduate Student Association, I aim to show leadership with our President, Vice President, and Treasurer for our Graduate students by helping organize new events and programs to support our Graduate Students at UCF. To support these new events and programs and continue the existing programs, I will ensure that communication between everyone is run smoothly and that our Graduate students participate in the future of the Graduate Student Association. I will also maintain a record of our journey throughout our Graduate Careers at UCF so that we can come back and support future Knights in the Graduate program at UCF.

As Secretary, I will charge in the face of challenges that impact our Graduate Students and find solutions to these future problems I will face as your secretary.

Jared Freedline is currently enrolled full-time in the History MA – Public History Track.

Sidrah Tufail

My name is Sidrah Tufail. I am an international student from Pakistan, and I have an International Relations bachelor’s degree from International Islamic University. I began my journey at UCF in the “Intensive English Language” certificate program in December 2021 with UCF Global. It was a transition period in my life because my culture does not allow girls to be educated or to study abroad. However, my parents took the initiative to support me in my higher education pursuits. Thanks to their efforts, I could continue my studies at UCF in the Political Science master’s program at the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs.

The most challenging aspect of my studies has been navigating the language barrier, discovering new words, and learning to interact with people with different accents. The native language of Pakistan is “Urdu,” which is like Hindi, but quite different from English and Arabic. However, I worked day and night to overcome these challenges, which has allowed me to succeed here at UCF. I aim to help other graduate students succeed as well.

My greatest strength is my quick decision-making during unexpected situations and my ability to multitask. I have a profound connection with spirituality that keeps me calm during moments of stress and when I am feeling overburdened with work. My composure has helped me in many situations, including when I participated in seminars, workshops, and sports activities at my previous university in Pakistan. Recently, I was a keynote speaker during the graduation ceremony at UCF Global.

In my spare time, I work in the student union and volunteer with Jumpstart AmeriCorps while I work towards a certificate with the US Institute of Diplomacy and Human Rights (USIDHR). Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies, as I love participating in cultural activities and festivals. After graduating, my dream is to become a Human Rights Consultant, working with the United Nations Organization to help people around the world.