the Student Association here at Fredonia. (Photo
courtesy of Matthew Anderson)
JOSH RANNEY
Assistant News Editor
The President of the Student Association: everyone votes for them, and they represent each student but not everyone knows who they really are.
President Connor Aitcheson was elected last semester and began his term on the first of this year. Four months into his term, some may know him from General Assembly meetings or SA social media. But not many know him as a student like the rest of us.
Aitcheson grew up down the road from Fredonia, in Dunkirk, where he graduated from Dunkirk High School. After high school, Aitcheson attended Jamestown Community College.
“Location, affordability [and] scholarship opportunities,” were reasons for Aitcheson going to JCC out of high school, like many other Fredonia students.
Aitcheson said that he transferred to Fredonia because of the great transfer agreement with JCC. But as far as he is concerned now, Fredonia is the place to be.
“The overall atmosphere on the Fredonia campus is welcoming and dynamic,” he said.
Here at Fredonia, Aitcheson is a Spanish adolescent education major — a field that he found interest and love for thanks to his roots.
“Growing up in a community with a notable Spanish speaking population,” said Aitcheson, “I befriended many people of diverse backgrounds who had unique perspectives and interesting stories that were often overlooked or ignored simply because of the language they spoke.”
After college, Aitcheson said he hopes to be a middle or high school Spanish teacher.
Exploring this field not only lets him work with his
passion,
but has provided some unique opportunities. Aitcheson has studied abroad – twice.
“My first trip was to Valladolid, Spain . . . my second trip was to Antigua, Guatemala,” he said.
These trips developed Aitcheson’s appreciation for witnessing and taking in diverse cultures first-hand. This perspective is one that is shared by numerous Fredonians who travel all over the world each semester.
Aside from his work in linguistics, Aitcheson is the chief representative of the students of Fredonia as president of the Student Association.
This is not a line of work that was new to Aitcheson when he came to Fredonia. His involvement in student government goes back to his time at JCC, and it began in sort of a comical way.
“I first got involved in student government at JCC as a compromise with my advisor who said just being the mascot (JJ the Jayhawk) shouldn’t be the extent of my campus involvement,” said Aitcheson.
In his first few semesters of student government, Aitcheson became SGA vice president and eventually president.
Aitcheson said the rewarding experience he found in student government led him to immediately seek out Fredonia’s Student Association once he transferred here.
He served as a class representative and assistant speaker of the assembly before being elected president.
It’s an opportunity that he welcomes and is honored to have, but explains that things did not unfold the way he expected.
“This wasn’t my original plan,” he said. “I was actually planning on studying abroad in Costa Rica this semester, but unfortunately those plans fell through.”
But when the possibility of becoming SA president came up, Aitcheson lept on it because of what he described as the perfect opportunity to practice student advocacy.
In all, it’s an experience that has been
a rewarding
for Aitcheson. “The most rewarding part of being president is watching students advocate and educate on matters they are passionate about . . . being able to play a minor role in providing that platform is an extremely rewarding experience,” he said.
Being the chief representative and spokesperson for the students of Fredonia does not come without its challenges, though.
The biggest challenge Aitcheson faces is, “ensuring that all student voices have a seat at the table and that we, as the representative body, are considering the many diverse perspectives,” he said.
Aitcheson makes sure to acknowledge that the progress and success of the Student Association are owed to his colleagues.