Erica Padgett

Erica Padgett is a third-year Economics major from Walnut Creek, CA. She currently serves as the Special Projects Director for the Executive Office of the ASUCD President, Assistant Director of The Pantry, and commissioner on the External Affairs Commission.

Candidate Statement

Hello everyone!

Through my experience in the legislative and executive branches of student government and working for an ASUCD Unit, as a Senator, I believe I can provide a unique holistic view of student government. You might ask: why am I running for senate? The reason is simple: I want to see positive change on campus that will benefit the entire student body and make their experience at UC Davis the best it can possibly be. I love Davis and our community, and as a second generation UC Davis student, I want to ensure that Davis continues to be a great campus for future students too.

Through my past experience in ASUCD and as a student, I have heard countless mentions of ideas from friends and fellow students, however, few know how to put those ideas into action and get results that could change the UC Davis campus for the better. I plan to make these ideas reality.

Platforms: INCREASING INVENTORY IN THE LIBRARY RESERVES: As most students, myself included, have experienced, buying required books for courses every quarter can get pretty expensive. Faced with tuition hikes and the current economic climate, most students are looking to cut their expenses wherever they can. Through increasing the number of textbooks and other required course readings in the Peter J. Shields library reserves, more books would be readily available for students to use, meaning less money needed to spend on textbooks and more money staying in Davis students' pockets.

DEVELOPMENT OF MOBILE APPS AND WEBSITES: Mobile apps and mobile websites have been growing in popularity with advancements in technology - even the most basic cell phones often have some sort of online capability. Our ASUCD Units have been moving forward in their media and website development, and I plan to work with them and Creative Media to promote the development of more mobile apps and mobile websites to make services more accessible to students.

My experience at the Pantry has exposed me to the economic hardships currently facing many students. Having seen friends and other individuals forced to drop out of college due to financial difficulties, I feel the need to help students find ways to cut their expenses in order to afford their college education. With this in mind, I pledge to do all that I can to advocate against further tuition hikes and budget cuts. I am passionate about making college affordable for all students and, if elected, will make this one of my primary goals.

Vote me, Erica Padgett, #1 for ASUCD Senate and BOLD #2-6!