Ellie Noah
Running for
Gender and Sexuality Senator
she/her/hers
Class of '22
Psychology
Fargo, ND
Statement of motivation
Although I am a senior and this is my first time applying for a leadership role on campus, I would love the opportunity to serve the St. Olaf community as the Gender and Sexuality Senator. After transferring my sophomore year, things got a little crazy with COVID, but I am really looking forward to having the full St. Olaf experience during my final year. Throughout the past four years, every time I’ve heard a complaint about academics, student life, or inclusivity at St.Olaf, I’ve thought about what I would do, but never actually considered being a part of making those decisions. That changed when I was a Transfer Student Mentor during orientation and was able to work one-on-one with other students. I would really love to be a part of the change now. I am inspired by the people I’m surrounded by and would love to partake in my community in a more meaningful way.
I come from a very sheltered, Catholic household. Celebrating the LGBTQ+ community or talking about gender equality wasn’t often a discussion at my school or in my hometown. I remember going to pride for the first time and how magical it all felt to me. Having a student voice specifically regarding these issues is a big deal, and it would be an honor to serve the student body as that voice.
I care about people a lot. I truly enjoy resolving issues and creating positive change for others. My desire to make things better for other people is a big reason why I chose to go into psychology. Being a part of this platform would allow me to induce lasting changes at my school that would continue to positively impact students even after I graduate. I would love the opportunity to meet with other leaders at the Taylor Center, SARN, and Lavender House about how to best serve the students so they can thrive at St.Olaf. I am confident in myself and my ability to succeed in this role.
Thanks to our wonderful liberal arts education, I’ve gotten to engage in many departments and make friends from all different academic areas on campus. I’ve been able to engage with people all over campus. I’ve been involved with theatre since I transferred, and I’ve gotten to know the wants/needs of theater and music students here. When I first arrived at St. Olaf, I thought that I wanted to be pre med (as most first-years at Olaf do). Although I have since realized that was not the case (especially after Chem 126), I was a part of the STEM courses here and made friends in those departments. I’m going to graduate this spring with a major in psychology, and I have loved being part of the department. Serving the entire student body, and working as a mediator between them and administration, is something that I can see myself being successful doing.
What's an initiative you'd like to see on campus?
I am very excited to continue the work that previous senators started last year. It would be an honor to work with the Taylor Center, SARN, and with community partners in Northfield to meet inclusivity needs for students. While I was a Transfer Student Mentor this year, a lot of the new students expressed to me how hard it was to get used to the new environment here. I would really love to be the person who can be there for them, and for all other students. Even this small role helping transfers made me realize I wanted to assist more students on campus. With this position I would be able to work specifically towards planning events, fundraisers, and enacting petitions around gender and sexuality issues on campus, while also being a liaison for students and administrators.
What are three words your friends would use to describe you?
Considerate, passionate, open-minded
Self-indicated experience
I identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and am very passionate about informing the community about the meaning of gender, discussing gender inequality, and creating inclusive, safe places for other LGBTQIA+ students on campus. I am confident in my public speaking skills and ability to propose new ideas to people, including faculty. I believe that my experience as a transfer student provides me with a unique perspective in regard to the student viewpoint. I enjoy hearing different points of view, and would use my knowledge to gender and sexuality inclusivity to the best of my ability. I also worked orientation this fall, which provided me with experience listening to other students, showing them around campus, and answering any questions they had for me about St. Olaf.