Ishwar is a 3rd-year master’s student in the College of Design, School of Architecture and School of Building Construction. They serve as the Graduate Student Senate Vice-Chair, Senator of the College of Design, Freedom by Design Director for the American Institute of Architecture Students, Financial Chair for the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students, EMBARC Community Youth Farm Student Liaison, and Sustainability Plan Co-Author.  

Breanna is a 1st-year Ph.D. student in the College of Sciences, School of Bio Sciences. They serve as the Senator of the School of Mathematics. They are very enthusiastic and passionate about serving the diverse student body.  

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Dear Diverse Graduate Students, 

As the world around our institution hive evolves, and we live in an era where our classmates have formed satellite hives globally, we have the need to strengthen our academic bond, advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion at the forefront of our endeavors. Collaborating with both our local and global communities, we aim to provide the necessary mechanism to support each buzzing bee is evolving to their greatest potential.  

Our multiplicity of majors, cultures, languages, nationalities, expressions, identities, approaches, and visions is what makes our institute community a flourishing habitat for success. With the proper support, which our platform intends to provide, each voice can achieve the necessary nectar from the finest blooms that our Institution and our graduate student government can nurture.  

We seek to serve, support, and advocate for you all in blossoming to your fullest capacity as we construct a firmer national and international relationship in the year to come. Thank you.  

Sincerely, 

Ishwar D. Ramnarine – GT M.ARCH | MRED 

Breanna D. Shi – GT Ph.D BS 

Diana (Yueyi) is a 6th-year Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering. They serve as the President of the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Association. Kai is a 2nd-year master’s student in the College of Computing and Biomedical Engineering. They serve as the Graduate Student Senator, Chair of Administrative Relations, and on the Institute Regulations Committee, as well as the Tech Fee Committee.

Fellow Georgia Tech Graduate Students,

We celebrate Diversity | हम अपनी विविधता में एकजुट हैं। | 我们盼望百花齐放，百家争鸣 | 당신의 목소리도 중요합니다 | Действия наших лидеров не определяют нас | Друзі, ми запропонуємо більше, ніж думки та молитви | Ramadan Mubarak | Tu Voz es importante | In varietate concordia

Il vaut mieux faire que dire: We originate more than 75% of Senate Bills, including: The LGBTQIA Bill, The OMS Representation Bill, The Pay our TAs Bill, and The Financial Assistance for Acts of War Bill. Last Friday, we voted through the first Graduate Grade Replacement Policy – with OMS consideration.

We have already connected with the President of the Alumni Association, the Vice Provost for Graduate Education, and the Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance.

We are not waiting to lead; We are Leaders in Waiting

What We Fight For | About Us | Professional_Leadership.diff() | OMS | Carpe Diem | Doggos

Yours in service,

Yueyi (Diana) Sun – GT ME

Kai Ouyang – GT MGMT | BMED | CS | OMS

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[A Better SGA – More Reachable & More Connected]

Having been in Mechanical Engineering nearly a decade, I have seen the ebbs and flows of our beloved department. I would pass familiar faces walking down the halls and I wanted to learn their stories and experience their lives.

I joined MEGA at the beginning of 2018 because I wanted to see a more active and connected community of ME grads. When I become president in 2021, I aim to bring a shift of culture in the ME grad department: making students more active, more engaged, and more willing to voice their needs. Now, MEGA is known as who serve and represent ME grad students in many aspects: hosting various events with social, professional, career development proposes (MEGA hosted 20 events as we came back to in-person fall 2021, and hosted 26 events so far in spring 2022), providing platform for ME grad students to be connected and bring up discussions, representing students’ needs in front of faculties in ME, and sharing resources and information we have to students.

But there are more that I wish I could do for my fellow students. The main difficulties I encountered as a student leader of an organization is the lack of resources and power to make changes happen. And this is indeed an issue for many organizations campus wide. I believe that the solution is ‘a better SGA that is more reachable by students and more connected to students’, which really connects and works with all GT student organizations, shares resources (information, funding etc.) school wide, represents and fights for the benefit of all GT students in a timely manner.

– Yueyi (Diana) Sun https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-yueyi-sun/

[Journey from a GT Dumpster to Leadership]

Three decades ago, when my dad was getting his PhD at Tech, GT was renovating dorms. My family hoisted me into the Dumpsters to push out the mattresses – we could not afford such luxuries. My family survived on $1 “special groceries”, and I have slept many nights hidden in a room in Skiles on an inflatable bed.

Graduate Living Wage, Food Insecurity, Student Homelessness, are not just “campus issues” – they are my childhood. When those in SGA decided to “form a committee to study the problem for a year,” it broke my heart – there is a distinction between living and being alive. As an institute which espouses the virtues of higher education, we must acknowledge that the highest form of knowledge is empathy; and that the destitute cannot afford to wait.

The delay is an artifact of our Institute’s culture. While producing the world’s best PhDs and researchers, GaTech has written its policies as dissertations – logically complete, impressive, and filled with good intentions. Unwittingly, these policies have also created an inescapable labyrinth of rules and regulations, causing us to seek refuge in asking “Why?” while the world’s pioneer’s ask, “Why not?”

As Chair of Senate Administrative Relations and Graduate Representative to Institute Regulations Committee, I recognized early the complexity and intricacies of our problems; and for months, I have been building a coalition of seasoned legal, strategy, and operations experts. We have been analyzing GT policy documents, developing strategic plans, and attending meetings with administrative allies. Few know what the future holds, but one thing is certain: Change is coming and tomorrow begins today.

– Kai Ouyang https://www.linkedin.com/in/kai-ouyang/

To our Staff and Faculty who try tirelessly to help the Graduate Student Body: You are our Heroes.

To my fellow Student Leaders: When you accept the fact that your true identity includes being an overcomer, you will never settle for less than a miracle.

My fellow students: Do not be afraid to give up good to go for great. Learn more at gtbetterdays.com