Thursday, Sept. 26, the College of William and Mary Student Assembly will hold elections for the Class of 2028 president and four Class of 2028 senators. SA will also hold an additional special election to fill a vacant Class of 2025 senate seat.
Currently, three candidates are running for Class of 2028 president: Carsten Chow ’28, MeSharlia Fountain ’28 and Devaughn Henry ’28.
Carsten Chow
Chow believes in responsibility and transparency in a president, something he pledges to uphold if elected.
“I believe voters have the right to know what’s going on in Student Assembly, and I want to demystify that process and provide more accessibility for them to understand what exactly is happening. I’d send out Google Forms, polls and questionnaires for students to fill out and make sure I’m being held accountable as president,” Chow said.
He plans to use his current position as the only freshman President’s Aide to amplify the Class of 2028’s voice. The President’s Aides are a group of students who meet in-person with College President Katherine Rowe once a semester in order to offer additional perspectives and ideas on how to best improve the community.
“This role is really important to me because I’m able to have a direct channel with the president in order to bring up your problems, your issues and your ideas to her, in an effort to reflect what the wider student population is thinking,” Chow said.
Chow also plans to prioritize mental health as a topic of importance, an area he has deep experience in with his volunteer work answering calls for the 988 Suicide Lifeline.
“For three years I took calls, four to five hours a week every week,” Chow said. “It really helped to show me how much of an issue mental health is, especially one that many students face. I want to increase accessibility for the Wellness Center and make it as easy as possible for them to get the help they need, when they need it.”
Chow has worked with two Class of 2028 senate candidates, Mackenna Wyckoff ’28 and Nina Argel ’28, to come up with a shared campaign platform and run as a team. They’ve nicknamed themselves “WAC,” an acronym for their respective last names, and their main platform points have been shortened to another acronym, “CARES.”
“C is for ‘community,’ which we want to improve through class events like Super Bowl parties, mixers, balls and other events. A is for ‘advancement,’ specifically career advancement. We’d work with the Cohen Career Center to hold LinkedIn workshops and alumni networking events for all students,” Chow said.
Chow further explained the rest of his platform.
“R is for ‘responsibility,’ which is our duty to make sure you’re all informed on what’s going on in SA. E is for ‘empowerment,’ especially for students that might have less resources. This would include mixers for first generation students, minority mixers and other cultural celebrations. S is for ‘sustainability.’ We want to improve recycling and compost signage as well as work with environmental organizations to improve the College’s sustainability as a whole,” Chow said.
These ideas deeply resonate with Chow and his running mates, and he believes that freshman students will have the best representation possible if they vote for all three.
MeSharlia Fountain
Another candidate for the Class of 2028 presidency, Fountain explained how her experience in high school as student council vice president and as president during her senior year led her to gravitate towards the role.
“I made a big impact in my [high] school,” Fountain said, “I wanted to run to see if I could make a big impact here at William and Mary.”
Speaking on what makes her qualified, Fountain cited her previous leadership experience and her skills in communication, engagement and involvement. She also mentioned that she has experience in more than just her high school’s student council.
“I led my FBLA team to regionals as number one, and I was also a part of different teams and organizations within the school,” Fountain said.
The Future Business Leaders of America, or FBLA, is an annual competition that has participating students take tests and give presentations that showcase each team’s leadership skills in different business topics.
Fountain explained that, after hopefully graduating early from the College, she wants to pursue medical school to become a general surgeon. Fountain remarked that she was looking to grow her leadership skills through a position as the Class of 2028’s president and throughout her time in medical school.
Fountain also spoke about her hobbies and favorite places on campus.
“I’ve joined a few clubs here at William and Mary, but before then I liked to sleep, I like to read, just going out and hanging with friends,” Fountain said.
She further highlighted some favorite spots on campus despite only being here for one month, due to the extra time she has spent at the College through the Preparing for Life as a University Student program.
PLUS is a week-long annual event for incoming students that sees them exploring the campus, attending mock lectures, doing various activities and making friends early before starting the official school year.
Fountain was one of the 47 students selected this year.
Fountain said she likes to frequent places such as the Center for Student Diversity and the Integrated Science Center, as she plans to major in biology. She also likes to go to The Daily Grind for First Gen Fridays, where first generation and low income students gather each Friday to study and chat.
Devaughn Henry
Henry explained he is committed to fostering community between students, faculty and professors through workshops, mixers and events if elected. Henry also expressed openness to hosting office hours as a means of staying connected to the student body.
A big part of being president, Henry continues, is not only carrying out promised duties, but also having availability and accountability.
“You got to be available to the people you serve,” Henry said. “You have to take responsibility for actions. Even if you weren’t involved with it, it’s still your class that you represent.”
In addition to his passion for helping people, Henry has prior leadership experience, serving as senior class president and the first representative of his county’s school board.
His commitment to community service also includes his experience as a volunteer firefighter, along with his participation in political leadership programs and seminars.
However, his passion for helping people didn’t just begin in high school; he started advocating much before that.
“I think my interest started in fourth grade — or around the 2016 election — and with all the pandemonium around it, it really got me interested,” Henry said.
Henry has also recently tried out for the men’s volleyball team here on campus, drawing from his love of beach volleyball developed in his hometown in the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
But while he enjoys spending time on sports, it’s still government that truly ignites his passion.
“My biggest hobby is I keep up with politics, the political world, everything is charming there,” Henry said.
Last summer, Henry participated in a political leadership program at the University of Virginia, where he spent two weeks traveling around the Commonwealth, learning about the economy and history.
“So, you know, going to these different areas of Virginia, learning about their political climate, how their government works and things like that is really eye opening,” Henry said.
Henry then discussed his plans after graduation, remarking that after double majoring in government and either public policy or American studies, he would want to pursue graduate education.
“I want to eventually go to law school to study constitutional law and practice for a little bit, but my real main goal is to enter politics,” Henry said. “Like I said before, I want to help people, and I think that’s the best way I can do it. I wrote a bill that even went before the General Assembly last year.”
The aforementioned bill Henry helped draft focuses on media literacy and internet safety, proposing mandatory education on these topics in Virginia, similar to the Commonwealth’s existing requirements for financial literacy.
Although the bill did not pass this year, Henry remains hopeful that it will be approved during the next General Assembly session in January.
Speaking on what he wants voters to remember, Henry emphasized both the initiatives his candidacy would introduce and the power the freshman voters have to influence the election both at the College and in the Presidential Election in November.
“Come out to meet the candidates on September 24, Sadler Atrium from. From 5 to 6:30 [p.m.] you can meet us,” Henry said. “Make sure you vote on September 26th, but also make sure you register to vote for the election in November. Early voting has already started, so you can check your voter registration, vote today if you want right down the street at the Williamsburg City Council.”
