As a member of Undergraduate Student Government (USG) since his first year at St. Thomas, Tommie Award finalist Adam Revoir ’22 has been working on improving the experience for all students at the university throughout his entire college career. Now the USG president, the servant leader has been focusing on making his campaign principles of an effective and efficient student government become a reality. Driven to create connections with people from all aspects of St. Thomas, Revoir aims to continue the university’s growth into a more inclusive and understanding community.
The Newsroom recently caught up with Revoir to learn more about his role as USG president, his career aspirations, and more. Here are the highlights from our conversation.
The final Tommie Award vote takes place Feb. 8-10.
What is your major here at St. Thomas?
I’m majoring in business law and compliance with a minor in legal studies. I am also a part of a program to get a newly offered certificate for risk management and insurance.
What was the motivation you to run for Undergraduate Student Government president?
I saw that the university was going into uncharted territory with our transition to D-I, transitioning back to in-person learning from online learning, and placing more focus on the university’s drive toward improving our sustainability. With the continuing university goal of increasing the inclusivity of our campus, and because I had been involved in USG for so long, I felt like I would make a strong candidate. I had established some very strong connections with people on the administrative and student body that would allow me to continue having the necessary conversations and pushing the envelope to make sure that we are able to continue the process of implementing changes where we find necessary.
What is one aspect of being the student body president that you did not expect when you were elected?
One thing that I was not expecting was the administration’s desire to hear the student voice. It seems like almost every day where I am asked for my perspective on a matter by another student, a faculty member or a member of the university’s administration. In all honesty, that surprised me. I did not expect that I would be able to have such a close relationship with people from all aspects of the university and that there would be this emphasis in our university on making sure that the student voice is heard.
What do you hope to accomplish as president before graduating?
So far, I have been able to accomplish one of my main goals, which was to create a new executive board position, the vice president of student engagement. This was something I promised a former board member would be my first action as president, so I was very happy when I was able to fulfill this promise. I am also hoping to increase the understanding of what the Undergraduate Student Government does, as I want the student body to gain a better understanding of what we can do for them.
Secondly, I hope to have a revision of the academic calendar to better accommodate international, out-of-state and greater Minnesota students. I believe that this is important because as St. Thomas continues to grow, we will start to attract more students from all over and our academic calendar should reflect this change in our student body. This is not something that I believe I will accomplish by the end of my term as president as this is no easy task, but I want to make sure that the conversation for this change has begun before I leave my post. I also want to continue the work to increase equity and inclusion for all student groups on campus such as LGBTQIA+ or students of different ethnicities and giving them support through policy and creating an environment where they feel safe. It’s my goal to help nourish this growth and leave the student government in a position to continue the success.
Has there been any member of the St. Thomas community who helped you during the election?
I have been fortunate enough to have had very supportive people around me during the whole process both before and after I was elected. One such time which stands out to me is one of the members of the custodial staff here, Jesus Sahagun. It all started with small talk that led to us talking for 30 or 40 minutes and in that time, I told him I was running for president. After that, every time I saw him he would always check in with me and ask how the election is going. It meant a lot to me because he did not have to care about me or the election, but he chose to and continued to do it.
My family, of course, has always been supportive, but it is because of this that I have always felt comfortable going for goals like this as I know they will always support me. Once I was elected, I have received so much help from the other members of the student government. Our advisers – Patricia Conde-Brooks and Margaret Cahill – have so much knowledge about all things USG; any time I have a question, they are always there to help. It is this support network that has made my job as USG president so much easier, as I have people to go to whenever I need advice.
What is your favorite memory you’ve made while working as president?
I would have to say March Through the Arches. This always has been my favorite Tommie tradition, so it was an amazing opportunity to be able to play a role in it. It was a bit intimidating to speak in front of all the incoming students and people from all over the university, but it still ended up being such an amazing experience and one I will remember for a long time.
What type of legacy do you want to leave at St. Thomas once you graduate?
What I would like to leave behind is a culture which will help to empower the student voice to make sure that the diverse needs of students are able to be heard. What I have learned in my leadership role is that everyone has a different college experience, and as our university continues to grow that diversity will continue to grow, so I want to make sure that our school suits all their needs, and we don’t accidentally isolate student groups. So, I want my legacy to be someone who extended the power and reach of student government, perhaps by increasing the inclusion of different student perspectives on councils and allowing USG to elevate to another level and become more representative of the whole population of the university.
What do you plan on doing after graduation?
I plan to go to law school and want to stay in the Minnesota area and so I’ll attend either St. Thomas Law or the University of Minnesota. I would like to do something in the corporate world like becoming an in-house counsel, because it brings together every aspect of business that I enjoy into one position.
Down the road, I really want to be a judge; my dream goal in life is to become a U.S. Supreme Court justice. I've had this goal since fifth grade after learning about the judicial branch and I always have just loved the significant role that the Supreme Court has as the guardians of the Constitution. Now I know that probably will not happen, but it is still something I am going for.
Even if I never become a U.S. Supreme Court justice, I would be very fulfilled in my life if I was to be able to sit on the Minnesota Supreme Court or become a judge within the Minnesota circuits. There is a part of me that considers going into politics, maybe serving as a Minnesota state legislator, so I could be a part of those conversations and be able to serve a greater number of constituents.
Do you have a favorite aspect/requirement you have to do as president, and if so, what is it?
I think it’s the continuous conversations I get to have with students. It’s something where I'm walking to class, and I already know in my mind that I am going to stop with two people to talk to someone. Or when I say, “Yeah, I'm running five minutes late,” it's probably because a student approached me, and I like to take that moment to talk to them. I like to check in with them, even if it is something as simple as, “How are you doing?” It might be a friend; it might be somebody that I saw at an event, so it's just taking that moment and valuing that personal interaction that's important to me and is something that I enjoy. It’s putting this emphasis on personal attention for other people that I enjoy most about this job.
