Dear Fellow Tar Heels,
My first memory at Carolina was walking through the Pit during homecoming week in the fall of 2012, that was when I knew I loved this school. I was on my first college tour and everything about this place spoke to me: the vibrancy, the fun, the kindness of the students, and the sensation of academic esteem. But it was the incredible energy and the camaraderie of the students, the very Tar Heel heartbeat that drew me in, I felt immediately at home. Since that day almost four and a half years ago, my love for this university has continued to grow. My love of place turned into a commitment to try to help make its institutions better, and throughout my time at Carolina I have been driven by this sentiment.
Deciding to run for student body president was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. I kept asking myself, “am I electable?” I was concerned that people wouldn’t be able to reconcile my personal identity as an Asian-American woman and first generation college student with my qualifications such as my years of work in Student Government or my work as a mental health advocate. It took months of asking myself if people would vote for me despite my intersecting identities for me to finally realize that I should not view any of my identities as a barrier to success.
While my passion for bettering Carolina and policy insight are what drives me, my identities should never be what holds me, or anyone, back. No one should ever feel like they aren’t capable of any job or position because of predispositions that others hold about them. This is what drives me to run. I am running for all the people who feel like their capability is jeopardized because of their identity. Inherent in the Carolina way is the idea that all Tar Heels can succeed in making UNC a better place if they are willing to put in the work, I want to show that this vision is not exclusive to any group. In fact, I believe that coming from our diverse backgrounds to unite as one student body is what makes Carolina such a unique and wonderful place.
What you will find in our platform are realistic, sustainable, and student-centered changes. Being involved with Student Government all my years at UNC, I recognize the limitations of the organization and our proposals take a pragmatic approach while using the office of the presidency to best improve UNC. Through these practical policies we can lift barriers to success for all Tar Heels and make UNC a level playing field where students thrive regardless of where they come from and who they are.
I look forward to the adventure and welcome the challenge.
Hark the Sound,
Liz
*this letter accompanied Elizabeth Adkins’ campaign platform for the UNC Student Body President