HWS News
17 June 2022 New Student Trustees Elected
Samari Brown ’24 and Jesse Whelan-Small ’24 have been elected by their peers to serve as Junior Student Trustees.
Samari Brown ’24 and Jesse Whelan-Small ’24 have been chosen by their peers to serve as members of the Hobart and William Smith Board of Trustees; as seniors they will have full voting rights. Through their posts, the pair will represent student voices and advocate for student interests relating to the Colleges’ policies, financial health and overall welfare.
An English and sociology double major with a minor in theater, Brown says she ran for the seat to promote the interests of students. “The Colleges have an obligation to provide an equitable student experience for all students on this campus. I’m delighted to have a part in fulfilling that obligation,” she says.
Additionally, Brown stressed her commitment to sustaining the Colleges’ mission of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and accessibility. “In this position, I intend to strengthen and improve the Colleges’ efforts, acknowledging that there is more work to be done.”
On campus, Brown works in the William Smith Dean’s Office and as an O’Laughlin Ambassador in the Office of Admissions. She is the co-leader of HWS Votes, and is a member of Three Miles Lost, Theta Phi Alpha and the Laurel Honor Society. She is from Rochester, N.Y., and graduated from Pittsford Mendon High School.
Whelan-Small, an economics major, is excited to “communicate student concerns and needs to the people with the power to address those issues. I am grateful for the opportunity to work closely with students, staff, faculty and trustees to work toward a common goal: creating the best HWS that we can.”
Whelan-Small says his Student Trustee predecessors, Nuzhat Wahid ’22 and Gib Shea ’22, as well as Irini Konstantinou ’23 and Zaheer Bowen ’23, are his inspiration for running for the seat. “Gib, Nuzhat, Irini, and Zaheer are all incredibly involved and impressive students at HWS, and they showed me what a difference students can make.” Bowen and Konstantinou will train and advise the new Junior Student Trustees throughout the 2022-2023 academic year.
On campus, Whelan-Small works in the Office of Admissions. He is a research assistant in the Sociology Department and is a member of the HWS Debate team and Kappa Alpha. He also serves as a volunteer for Big Brother Big Sisters. He previously served as a Community Assistant and as a coordinator for FLX College Leaders. He is from Maplewood, N.J. and a graduate of Columbia High School.
