Jeylan Jubran and Samuel Strassburger have recently been elected Student Government Association (SGA) President and Vice President of Operations (VPO), respectively, following last week’s campus-wide vote, marking a new leadership chapter as Stevens students head into the spring semester.
After a decisive win in last week’s elections, Jubran and Strassburger say they are both “excited and shocked” by the results and ready to begin their terms in January 2026. The pair, who ran a campaign centered on transparency, student advocacy, and revitalizing SGA’s internal systems, explained that the outcome felt “rewarding,” especially given the margin by which they won. A total of 926 students of the 4,065 total undergraduate student body voted in this year’s SGA presidential election. Jubran and Strassburger received 52.16% of the vote, ahead of Arthur Serra and Anushka Pathak, who earned 41.36%. The third pair, Noah Wachtel and Thomas Paolillo, received 6.16%, while 0.32% of voters selected reopen nominations.
For Jubran, the path to the presidency began with a complicated relationship with SGA itself. She previously served in the organization but felt that her voice wasn’t heard, ultimately leading her to step away. Working independently on various initiatives, she realized that what she really wanted was not distance from the SGA, but the ability to reshape it. “The more I did things on my own, the more I wanted the role, solely so I could have the resources and be able to help people in the best capacity that I could,” she said. Returning to SGA as a candidate, she added, was driven by a desire to enact meaningful change from within rather than work around its limitations.
Strassburger’s motivation emerged from a different angle. Serving on the Budget Committee at the time Jubran approached him about running together, he said the two shared a common vision: “There’s a lot of things we want to see improve. The whole point is to help students.” He emphasized that their campaign centered on genuine desire rather than titles. Both leaders believe this sincerity played a key role in their election victory. “We mean it when we say we want to get something done, and I think students were able to see that,” Jubran said. Strassburger agreed, noting that many campus issues fall well within the SGA’s power to address — and that students responded to their readiness to act. “There are a lot of problems that students have, and the SGA has the power to solve them, and we want to take advantage of this,” he said.
As they prepare to transition into office, Jubran and Strassburger say their first priorities involve internal restructuring. Jubran highlighted the importance of assembling and strengthening the cabinet. “Our first priority right now is cabinet, and revamping the campus-wide bias system in terms of reporting issues,” she explained, suggesting a desire to create a more responsive and efficient leadership team. Strassburger, meanwhile, hopes to focus on the Senate itself. “I want to improve the culture of the Senate,” he said. “I want people to be excited to get things done.”
Both emphasized that their collaboration will be central to how they lead. Although the formal structure of SGA separates the roles of President and Vice President, they intend to operate as a unified team rather than two independent offices. “We plan to keep each other accountable for our actions,” Jubran said. “Technically, in the structure of things, the President and Vice President roles are separate, but we do not want it to be like that. We want to be a team that works and communicates effectively.”
Looking forward, both leaders expressed excitement about creating a stronger sense of community within SGA and across campus. Strassburger said he is eager to “build a support system for students,” and Jubran described her hope to create an SGA that is connected and also has a community, adding that she is excited to establish systems that bring students and representatives closer together.
Above all, the pair wants to make themselves accessible. “We are very talkative people, and we are eager to talk to each one of you,” they said, and emphasized that this trait reflects a genuine invitation. “We want students to know we want to hear their voices and opinions, so please come talk to us.”
