Name: Sierra Roiger
Hometown: Sanborn, MN
Major: Business Management
Campus Involvement: Student Government President, Student Allocations Committee, Residence Hall Association
Graduation Date: May 2024
Recognized for her commitment to bettering the lives of Minnesota State Mankato students and the campus community, Sierra Roigers, the 2023-24 Student Government President, has taken the necessary steps to grow as a leader.
“Sierra is an intentional self-advocate and advocate for others,” said her BEST Board nominator. “She is the first person to learn what steps need to be taken to resolve an issue she learns about and then immediately takes action.
“I have been impressed by her ability to make connections with others – especially individuals in higher levels of leadership. She has elevated student voices with care while taking the time to understand the nuances of how many of our processes work.”
Reflecting on your time in leadership roles or as a student employee in the student union, how do you believe these experiences have contributed to your college experience?
SIERRA: “I started out as the secretary for the Residence Hall Association which prepared me to take over the President position the following year. In that year, I was able to learn how to communicate with numerous moving parts to coordinate projects and goals to get the best outcomes for students. This work quickly translated over into my roles in Student Government last year before my current role as President. In this role, I have been able to really take a step back and be intentional in listening to student concerns and balancing providing rationale on University actions, while also advocating for the continued changes that students deserve to see.”
How have those experiences contributed to your personal growth and development as an individual?
SIERRA: “In my inauguration speech I spoke on how my first year here was spent mainly in my dorm room, attending all online courses. I didn’t know more than a couple people from my floor, with one being my Community Advisor. But then, as classes switched to being in-person again, I started meeting people and sharing ideas on what I saw happening and I was pushed to think about Student Government and the Residence Hall Association. Going from knowing no one on my floor and not knowing a lot of my classmates, to now is like a one-eighty. I can go anywhere on campus and I know at least one person in each room that I can ask the questions students are asking and I am more confident in my capability to lead others.”
Provide one or more detailed examples where your campus involvement/work experience made you a better leader.
SIERRA: “My role as Student Government President has been the most influential in making me a better leader. For the last six weeks of the fall semester, there was no Vice President which meant that I was taking on additional duties, meetings, projects, responding to emails solo, and more. But a person, a full-time student at that, can only take on so much. I quickly learned that it was not a one-person task leading the students’ voice but it was a group effort. I learned to reevaluate how I research topics so that when I go into meetings I am able to focus on the key information and relay that back to our students. Another way it supported me was by confirming that if more than five students are talking about something–there is probably an issue and it’s time to listen. Even though we are a campus of roughly 14,600, that doesn’t mean we should ignore the concerns of the few for the benefit of the many. Oftentimes we get lost in looking for those big things that can bring the biggest punch but I found that it was just as important to listen to everyone.”
How do you see yourself carrying the lessons and skills you gained from your leadership and/or student union work experience into your future endeavors or career path?
SIERRA: “There is definitely a future in government as I have been able to work with our City Council representatives for our ward and have been learning more about what local versus state representatives do. There is also a future within higher education / college student affairs. This is because the people who I have been able to interact with the most and get the most impact from have been the program advisor for RHA, Residential Life staff, student programming staff, and more within the greater scope of the university.”
What advice would you give to fellow students in helping them make the most of their college experience?
SIERRA: “You are allowed to come in with certain expectations, but don’t allow them to become your limits. In my time, I have watched the opportunities available to students grow in variety and in quantities. Best part is that there is something for your college, athletics/sports, arts, music, politics, and dozens more. You can change up what you like and try new things every few months or every few weeks, and there is not a better time than now to do so.”
Throughout your college experience at Minnesota State Mankato, what has provided the greatest personal growth, memories, satisfaction and/or personal pride.
SIERRA: “I would say my involvement in Student Government has brought me the greatest personal growth and pride because I have been able to speak to MN legislative members about Armstrong and the future of our campus, supporting the students through work on student wages and student fees, connecting “big” decision-makers to the students who are able to tell the stories best, and more.”
