Vanessa Herb
2016-2017 Director of Finance
As I reflect on my year as Director of Finance with only two Budget Allocations Committee meetings left before I graduate, I feel nothing but a sense of accomplishment.
Last year, the then-president elect Jackson Dangremond was in need of a Director of Finance. I had no experience in finance, though I did have student government experience from high school.
I knew that because President Dangremond and I were close, that he would not let me fail at my position. I went ahead, took a leap of faith and applied to be the Director of Finance.
It was extremely difficult at first because I had no idea what I was doing. Zero clues. I was never good at math or dealing with numbers and I had never held a position so important. Little did I know, being Director of Finance is much more than just juggling numbers or holding an important title.
In my position, I have gotten to know student leaders from all sorts of clubs and organizations within our campus. Not only that, I have gotten to see them succeed with the funds that my committee and I allocated them.
It is not all a walk in the park and I have had to deal with a lot of tough situations. I have let people down because not all requests get approved. I have held everyone to the same rules, despite knowing some requestors personally, when the rules don’t work in their favor.
However, this position has prepared me to take on the professional world because it has gotten me out of my comfort zone. I used to avoid any kind of confrontation or conflict at all costs, but this position has at times forced me to be stern, strict and vocal about my differing opinions from coworkers that I love and care about on a personal level.
I didn’t know what I was getting into when I applied for this position, but as a graduate-to-be, I will look back on my time as Director of Finance and know that it has truly shaped me into a better person and prepared me for the professional world.
With that, I just want to say to anyone who has interest in joining Undergraduate Student Government or any organization: don’t be afraid to do something that gets you out of your comfort zone, or that you think you wouldn’t be able to do. Sometimes you end up surprising yourself and your experience changes you for the better.