Student regents talk position on ENMU board

An Eastern New Mexico University student has been selected to serve on the school’s board of regents for the 2017-2018 calendar years.

Kekoa Von Schriltz, a sophomore psychology and criminal justice major, is also a President’s Ambassador and a student senator for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Von Schriltz replaced student regent Veronica Ayala, who served from 2015-2016.

Von Schriltz and Ayala answered questions about the position:

Kekoa Von Schriltz

What would you like to accomplish as a student regent?

Mainly, the whole reason why I wanted this job was because I used to be a student senator, and I knew a lot about student retention, and that's one of the main things I wanted to look at. Retention changes over the spring, and that's something I was really emphasizing myself as, and one thing I really wanted to look at, as well as student life.

I wanted to make sure they were getting the things they needed here, as far as some classes, and make sure we offered exactly what they needed for their intended major; that way, they could graduate on time, and not owe as much money. Of course, Eastern does offer scholarships to a lot of students, but I want to make sure they are brought out. I want to emphasize that they're there for the students, and make sure they know to come and apply for them, to look at them, and really make sure they know what's going around school.

What do you feel will be your most important responsibilities in your new position?

I would basically be representing the students as a whole, and not only getting their concerns, but seeing faculty concerns as well, and things that are best for the university, that will help it be best for the students, as well as the future students.

I feel that it's extremely important, because we do offer a university, and we kind of advertise that. Our motto is 'Student success: That's what it's all about," and I highly agree with that. We're here for the betterment of them, for their future, because these students are the future of our world.

How does it feel to be representing the students of ENMU in this capacity?

It's exciting. It's a little nerve-wracking, just knowing that there's a lot of things that go on that I'll be in charge of and helping out. It's maybe a little overwhelming, but I think with a little practice and all the other regents that will be there to help me and guide me through and also be there to advise along with me, I feel pretty confident that we can just increase what we've already been doing.

Veronica Ayala

What has been most rewarding about serving as the student regent?

I think the most rewarding thing is knowing that I'm serving a small university and all of the students, giving the students a voice for some of the policies, and some of the background things that are going on at the university that a lot of students don't know about.

What would you say was your most important responsibility as a student regent?

The other four regents were fantastic, and President Gamble is awesome. I think, working in collaboration with such knowledgeable people, personally, I gained a lot of leadership skills and a lot of communicative skills that I probably wouldn't have gained otherwise, because serving for higher education is a different capacity than what I've been studying, and my field is speech language pathology. I think being able to work with such esteemed professionals definitely helped me grow personally and professionally.

What will you always take with you from your time as a student regent?

Being able to remember that every single person, as a part of this facility, helps it run, from the staff members to the custodians. Everybody helps. We have to make decisions regarding even the smallest positions to the biggest positions at the university, and without everybody, the university wouldn't be able to run.