By Harper Spires – Contributing Writer – [email protected]
Carleigh Zeman, SGA’s elections commissioner, who partakes in nearly every student organization on campus, loves the wide variety of involvement opportunities for students.
“My favorite thing about UNC Asheville is the vast number of options available to our students including leadership opportunities, academic research, employment and internships,” Zeman said.
A senior political science, religious studies and legal studies student, Zeman is originally from Chapel Hill. As elections commissioner, her responsibilities include overseeing SGA elections, for both freshmen senators in the fall and for all candidates in the spring.
“I operate independently of the executive and legislative branches to ensure that elections are as unbiased as possible. I work with a team of eight appointed individuals called the ‘elections commission’ who help run, advertise and prevent infractions during the elections process,” Zeman said.
In addition to SGA, she is involved in a number of other organizations, which include: both of her major departments; the University Honors Program; Overlook Hall Residential Assistants; peer mentoring; and the Student Affairs Department. She has also been an orientation leader and was a SGA senator for two years.
Zeman became interested in SGA because she believes that UNCA’s small size makes the student government especially effective.
“At a larger school I might get stuck sending countless emails or having meetings postponed with important members of the university community. In student government, I find it easy to get in touch with the faculty and staff members who I need to help make changes on campus,” Zeman said.
Zeman said her heart is set on a politically oriented career, preferably on a global scale. Her ultimate goal is to attend law school and work in international law.
“A political pet peeve of mine is American exceptionalism in international law and our nation’s reluctance to cooperate on a global level,” Zeman said.
Three months spent in Japan this past summer gave her a good handle on speaking Japanese.
Zeman is clearly on her way to a global political career.