Two candidates look to lead SFC: Rylee Richardson

Rylee Richardson

Age: 20Year: JuniorMajor: Public HealthGoal: To let students know where their student fees go.

Rylee Richardson says she knows budgets and that is why she would be a good choice for next year’s Student Fee Committee Chair.

Currently a junior who will be graduating next spring, Richardson said she has been involved in student groups and campus work for as long as she has been at Portland State.

Richardson has been the director of on-campus events for the Pre-Dental Student Organization for a year, has volunteered at OHSU and has worked in the Environmental Science and Resources office at PSU for over two years, where she helps graduate students fill out applications. It is her office work and work with student groups that has helped her familiarize herself with various budgets and the SFC guidelines, she said.

“I always had to go to budget school,” Richardson said about her involvement in the Pre-Dental group. “We worked really well with the SFC, it was always like a presentation.”

Richardson chose to run for SFC chair because, she said, she always wanted to get involved with the large variety of student groups on campus. Richardson said she and the other Empowerment slate candidates have a multitude of experiences from many different student groups.

“We have 163 student groups, to me, that’s tons,” Richardson said. “I felt that being SFC chair would help me advocate for getting students involved and help them to familiarize themselves with the budgets.”

She believes it is important for every student group to know and understand their budgets.

“I really want to make sure the SFC is working with student groups and not getting zero funded because they don’t know the guidelines,” Richardson said.

Richardson is running on the “Empowerment” slate along with presidential candidate Christian Aniciete and his vice presidential candidate Karla Hernandez. Through the campaign process, she said she has talked with many students groups, reviewed the SFC guidelines and engaged in conversations with SFC members. She also said she is planning on attending SFC and Student Activities and Leadership Programs meetings to witness the budgeting process for next year.

After she graduates, Richardson said she hopes to get her master’s degree in Health Administration and become a director of a hospital. She believes being in the SFC will give her more of the experience she needs for her future endeavors.