Adrianne Hutchin is a senior double majoring in Criminal Justice and Global Studies with a minor in Criminal Law and concentration in Restorative Justice. Her goal is to become an attorney after graduation, but until then, she is running to fight for the student body as a Non-Traditional Student Representative on the Student Government Association (SGA).
Hutchin is a native Vermonter who currently resides in St. Johnsbury. She transferred to NVU-Lyndon from the Community College of Vermont (CCV) with her Associate’s Degree. During her time at CCV, Hutchin was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa honor society and partook in student government.
Since coming to NVU-Lyndon, Hutchin has fallen for the sense of community it brings. “Everyone genuinely cares about each other, be it the students or the professors. I have made connections with both that I would have never imagined just a year ago,” she told The Critic.
Students are facing many challenges this school year, and Hutchin is tuning in to as many as she can. She says that one of the top issues is the feeling of uncertainty. With all the stories about NVU in the media over the years, she says that the emotional turmoil for students is real. “We are not sure from semester to semester if our campus will be open for students, if our classes will be available, or if we will even have a university to come back to. This is an incredible amount of stress to put on people who are struggling to get a college education at any time, especially one like this.”
If she’s elected to represent her peers on the SGA, Hutchin plans on reaching out to those she’s representing to bring up their concerns first. Then, she wishes to address the academic curriculums of the Lyndon campus. “The blatant cutting of vital courses that are needed for our degrees needs to stop! I am hearing from students in meetings that the majors they came to Lyndon for have been “redesigned” and no longer exist,” she said. “We deserve better than this.”
The need for communication has always been there, and it is one of the few things the pandemic has not changed. Hutchin plans to use social media and email to get in contact with students and respond promptly to their messages, “along with whatever else my constituents felt comfortable with.” She says that fast and informed responses are her main goals in communication with the student body.
Hutchin sees the SGA as a body of representation. With its club and student representatives, all concerns and aspirations of NVU-Lyndon should be addressed at every meeting. To improve the work of the SGA, Hutchin says that the lines of communication need to be monitored to ensure “those entrusted with the voice of the student body” are held responsible for their actions.
She says she is the best candidate for the Non-Traditional Student Representative because “I have a passion for this school and its future and I am not afraid to stand up for those who are in need of a voice. I possess both critical thinking and conflict resolution skills and am ready to put them to work for my fellow students if given the chance.”
Students interested in voting for Adrianne Hutchin can do so by writing her name for SGA Non-Traditional Student Representative when they fill out the online SGA ballot.
Feature Photo by Alexandra Huff