To implement change, you must be willing to take action. It seems easy enough, but how often is it the case that people recognize flaws within the system without taking the initiative to make a difference? For Parkland’s Student Government Association, also known as the SGA, turning action into real impact for the lives of Parkland Students is what it is all about.
We spoke to one of the SGA’s senators, Joe Solava, and secretary, Emma Fish, to get a closer look at how the SGA operates as well as insight into what it is like to participate in one of Parkland’s most prominent student leadership organizations.
What is SGA?
The SGA is a student-led organization at Parkland. It provides its members with a space and platform to advocate not only for what can be improved within student life, but also for established resources that students may not be aware of.
Students know and understand the needs and wants of their peers better than anyone else can. To bring together students living their day-to-day lives, the SGA sits at the forefront of making a meaningful impact on the lives of Parkland students. As a result, student outreach plays a crucial role in how the SGA connects with the larger student body.
The importance of student outreach
While community college is not typically thought of as a highly socialized experience, especially in contrast to a traditional university, there is still a multitude of resources and organizations available to make one’s time at Parkland enjoyable, something that the SGA hopes to make known.
For the SGA, some examples of student outreach include themed holiday events, school-wide picnic events, table events, collaboration with other clubs, and a student feedback form that the SGA’s outreach committee is currently developing.
Fish says student outreach is really about “Getting people excited about being on campus and staying on campus for more than just their classes … [alongside] to educate them about all the resources available to them.”
This also looks like advocating SGA as a resource in and of itself: “We are here to advocate for students and … be a voice for them to administration … if any student has some kind of feedback, we can bring [that] out to our meeting and figure out … what to do with it.”
Ultimately, while SGA strives for getting students excited to stay on campus, attending a community college offers a unique experience that serves a diverse demographic in which staying on campus for long hours outside of classes is not a realistic option for many students.
Solava mentions this and still recognizes the beauty in what community college can still provide for their student body.
I think that there are ways that we can make sure that even if they are not on campus full time and are not able to be engaged … they are still utilizing all the resources they can to be the best students [they] can be.
“If anything else [it] is to make sure that students … have resources that are able to make them succeed in life and propel them.”
Upcoming plans
Recently, the SGA held its Fall 2025 student government election. While it may be a bit stressful, it is ultimately a very exciting time for existing SGA members, as in a few weeks, there will not only be new members but also new ideas and perspectives.
For October specifically, Fish mentions a collaboration-based spirit week for Parkland’s club, which is planned once their new members arrive, promoting a sense of community within the school for both clubs and students.
It is also to be noted that many of the existing members of the SGA are graduating this Spring, which, as Solava put it, will be “a good challenge for us to … show off how important student government is so we can get that new group of people in.”
Why join SGA?
Joining any kind of club is a commitment, and given the level of involvement SGA has as an organization, it may raise doubts about whether it is the right fit. However, the opportunities and skills gained from joining an organization centralized around student-led leadership are invaluable.
There is an idea that choosing to do nothing at all and being nonchalant about what goes on in the school beyond classwork is cool, but it is actually limiting.
For students like Solava and Fish, the SGA has served as a means of personal growth, both emotionally and socially. This has been made possible by being provided the opportunities of meeting a large number of new people, getting to be a role model for other students, making a name for themselves, learning about different departments, and networking and making changes that they want to be seen.
As mentioned earlier, a highlight of being in SGA is seeing the changes you advocate for come to fruition, and the fulfillment that comes with it. However, Solava notes that, similar to the many bureaucratic decisions that occur in our government, not everything can have a clear resolution that satisfies everyone.
So [while] it is cool to … see your work pay off … it is also … a good learning experience … to instead of letting something like that … take you down and stop your path [rather] pivot and find new ways to … make [the] change you want to see happen.
Ultimately, Fish describes why she would recommend others to join as “[involvement] … greater than just the average student experience,” and, given the positive outcomes that come from such an experience, it is hard to see how it could not be so.
SGA’s resonating message
When asked what one thing they would like to tell students about SGA, Fish responded, “Really, that we exist and that we are more than willing to help them with whatever they need and [that we will] advocate for them.” Fish builds on that saying, “I want more students to know [that] we do have the power to make those changes.”
Building on that, Solava says that in reference to making changes, he hopes students will understand that, as SGA members, that is what they are there to do. “Change only happens if you make it happen, so I think that it is important that we bridge that gap … [of] whatever trepidations [one] might have.” Solava also emphasizes that “We are here for [the] sole purpose of … making sure that people … have a better experience of their time [here at Parkland].”
If you are looking to make a change in school, get more involved, or seek personal growth, SGA is the perfect organization to make your mark.
Although the SGA is now closed to accepting new members for the fall semester, be sure to keep an eye on openings for the Spring election, alongside the various SGA-organized activities throughout the year.
Change has to start from somewhere, and by being more involved and informed in what is going on in the school, change can find its starting point.
