By Lillian Moskalewicz
IV Leader Staff

Elections were held earlier this semester for freshmen positions in Student Government Association.
Grace Sparling edged out a close contest for freshman representative. Sparling won by two votes over Heidi Story.
For freshman programming board positions, Naomi Ochub and Hope Stunkel were successful in winning seats.

Grace Sparling
Freshman Grace Sparling is a graduate of LaSalle-Peru High School.
She is a Communication major, a writer for the IV Leader, and, now, a Freshman Representative of the Student Government.
Before attending IVCC, Sparling was unsure about where she wanted to further her education.
“I am certainly happy with my decision of coming [to IVCC]. I saw the opportunity to be a part of Student Government and I’m very happy that I did.”
Sparling’s goal as Freshman Representative is to be a voice of the student body.
“It’s important to pick up on their opinions and recommendations because they are what creates this college atmosphere.”
Sparling has a lot of new ideas that could be beneficial to the students at IVCC.

Naomi Ochuba
Naomi Ochuba is a 17-year-old freshman coming from Saint Bede Academy, although she is originally from Nigeria.
Ochuba is a Musical Theatre major who also signed to play basketball here at IVCC.
As for her role in Student Government, Ochuba also won the Freshman Programming Board position.
“I ran for this position because I was always afraid to in highschool. I was afraid that no one would vote for me, but when I got to IVCC that changed. I figured its a new school with new opportunities. I am thankful for a fresh start here at IVCC.”
Ochuba has a lot to offer and the Student Government is excited to see what she can accomplish.

Hope Stunkel
Hope Stunkel, a freshman, just graduated from Putnam County High School and is majoring in Business Administration.
She is involved in a few extracurricular activities including River Currents, Project Success, IV Leader, and Econ Club.
Stunkel has recently won the SGA position of Freshman Programming Board Member.
When asking Stunkel why she decided to run for this position, she responded, “I wanted to empower people to use their weaknesses as their strength and to be a voice on campus. I also wanted to tell my story with my physical disability and being in a wheelchair.”
One thing that stands out about Stunkel is that she has never stopped from achieving her goals despite her physical disability.
Her goals in Student Government are “to be an inspiring voice on campus and to teach more about how to overcome struggles.”