SGA names Caleb Smith as new president
Pictured: SGA President Caleb Smith
The Student Government Association (SGA) has named a new president, and he promises big things for the future of campus government.
Caleb Smith is a junior majoring in risk management and insurance from Gadsden, Alabama. Smith has a long history with student government.
Smith has been involved with SGA since his freshman year at Troy. Smith started out as a Freshman Forum delegate, in which he served as the 2022 Excellence in Leadership Conference director, and then he served as Freshman Forum director for the 2023-24 year.
Last year, Smith was SGA’s executive vice president, with sights set on his presidential campaign.
“I have always had a deep love for Troy University ever since I first stepped onto campus as a prospective student during my senior year,” Smith said. “From day one, Troy has been more to me than just an educational institution, providing me with opportunities, relationships and community that have changed my life forever.
“Troy means so much to me, and I want every student on our campus to have that same positive experience. I decided to run for SGA President because I care for our student body and want to bring about active change to the school we love, so that every student can find a deep love and passion for Troy just like I have been able to.”
As the newly elected SGA President, Smith said the feeling is unreal.
“The one word that comes to mind is surreal,” Smith said. “Never in my life could I have imagined that I would be serving Troy University as its SGA President, but I am so thankful to God that I was blessed to serve in this position.
“Troy means so much to me, and I could not be more excited to serve it through this role.”
Smith said he had a great support system during his campaign.
“There were many factors that kept me going during my campaign, but my faith in God was certainly the biggest,” Smith said. “I also must thank my parents and other family members, my fraternity brothers and my campaign team, specifically Macy Kate Owen who led the charge as my amazing campaign manager.
“Without these people, I would not have been able to move forward with my campaign and be as successful as I was.”
Smith’s campaign was based around three components he believes are essential for SGA to be a successful organization: transparency, relatability and efficiency. Smith said these three principles are going to be his guiding force behind every decision he makes as president, so every one of them is meaningful and impactful.
“I want Trojans to know that I don’t want to just be a leader but a devoted servant and true friend,” Smith said. “My campaign slogan this year was ‘Stay Connected with Caleb,’ which was a continuation of my ‘Connect with Caleb’ platform that I used last year to run for Executive Vice President.
“To me, it’s more than just a slogan; it’s an action that I strive to do every single day. I want to be someone that has a listening ear and that anyone feels comfortable talking to. I aim to be a leader people truly trust and respect and one people see as a friend first.”
Smith’s first action as president will be to establish his cabinet, the people who will help bring about effective change to campus and advise Smith on making the best decisions.
Secondly, Smith plans to immediately reach out to administrators and important figures on campus to schedule preliminary meetings.
“I am thankful to already have good rapport with our upper administration and university leaders across campus, and I hope to expand upon that in my new role,” Smith said.
Smith said it is the honor of a lifetime to serve as the 99th president of the Troy University Student Government Association.
“I have a lot of big shoes to fill, and I do not take this position lightly,” Smith said. “As our SGA mission statement goes, I strive to serve our student body ‘through service, enthusiasm, and Trojan Pride,’ and I hope that with the help of my Executive Committee, Presidential Cabinet and Senate members, we can make the school we love the best it has ever been.”
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