Defying Expectations
From Oct. 9 – 12, members of St. Joseph’s University, New York’s Student Government Associations (SGA) across its Long Island and Brooklyn campuses traveled to Washington, D.C. for the 2025 American Student Government Association (ASGA) National Summit.
The conference was designed to help student leaders strengthen their advocacy, communication and campus engagement skills while bringing together student governments from across the country for workshops, breakout sessions and discussions on how to improve student life and promote meaningful leadership within higher education.
The conference was a first-time experience for many of the University’s student leaders, who were unsure what to expect going into the weekend.
“Going into the conference, I expected to sit in sessions and listen to individuals with more experience talk about how they ran things,” said Enrique Gress, SJNY’s Long Island Campus Secretary. “However, it was a complete turnaround when we made new friends and connections, and the sessions were much more interactive than I expected.”
Throughout the conference, students participated in sessions on campus involvement, community building, governing documents, student engagement and individualized conversations on each SGA position. Meanwhile, one particular workshop was a hit with the entire group, specifically on how to address another individual as a leader.
“My favorite presentation was ‘How to Call Someone Out’ by Suzette Walden. She was an amazing presenter who knew exactly how to respond to any questions asked,” said Bryan Frascogna, Long Island Campus Vice President. “During her session, she shared a phrase that really stuck with me. The phrase was ‘HALT,’ which stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. She explained that before confronting someone, we should pause and ask ourselves if we’re feeling any of these emotions. If we are, it’s best to take a step back and return to the conversation once we’re in a better headspace.”
While this session left a lasting impression on the leaders, there were others that provided valuable lessons and insights into several key topics that will guide their work moving forward. The summit encouraged the group to think about new initiatives, more consistent communication with SJNY’s student body and promote stronger outreach to incoming students.
“I learned a lot about how to include the students and engage them, and I think that will really help us, especially in our bigger events,” said Jesslyn Vulin, Long Island Campus Parliamentarian. “I have already put that into practice with the campus media Instagram page (sjli_campusmedia), highlighting clubs on the account to make everything feel more inclusive.”
Two SJNY Campuses Under One Roof
Beyond the educational sessions, the conference was also a chance for students to connect, share experiences and have fun as a group.
“The best part of the trip, aside from the conference itself, was the team bonding we experienced not only within our executive board but also with our amazing adviser, Bryan Gill. Bryan was the best sport we could have asked for,” said Emma Sasso, Class President on the Long Island Campus.
Jehanna O’Sullivan, the SGA Treasurer for the Brooklyn Campus said the experience allowed her to see student leadership from a broader perspective and gain new insight into what other institutions are doing to support their students.
“It was a great experience to represent the Brooklyn Campus and St. Joseph’s University, New York,” O’Sullivan shared. “I felt a real sense of responsibility to showcase the dedication and creativity of our student leaders. One session that stood out to me focused on financial transparency and accountability within student organizations. As treasurer, it gave me practical tools for creating clear budgets, tracking spending and communicating financial decisions effectively to our student body.”
The group unanimously agreed that the best part of the trip outside of the conference was being able to bond with each other through touristy activities.
“For me the best part was getting to be together as a group and really enjoy the experience together,” said Vulin. “We were already super close before we left, but after this experience I feel that we really bonded and grew closer than we ever thought we could as friends!”
Being able to attend such a prestigious conference gave the executive boards the opportunity of a lifetime to learn, grow professionally and experience something that will leave a lasting impact on their college journey.
“I would like to thank our student leaders for attending with an open mind and am looking to share what we learned with the clubs and organizations, as well as considering attending another conference in the future,” said Long Island SGA adviser Bryan Gill.
“I would also like to thank and send appreciation to all of those who donated to help support SGA in attending this conference through the Spring 2025 Giving Day Project,” he concluded.
