Why Ray?
Ray is a certified trauma-informed and DE&I Foundations certified junior double majoring in English and communication and social influence with a minor in sociology. She is from Washington DC, has been a committed activist organizing to prevent sexual violence since middle school, and has since become the Founding President of Temple University’s chapter of It’s On Us: Student Activists Against Sexual Assault. Through a partnership between her student organization and Uber, Ray secured $350,000 in free rides for Temple students needing to escape vulnerable situations. Shortly after, she and her student organization were named Champions of the Week by City Council during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. She currently occupies the first LGBTQ+ Caucus Chair position at It’s On Us National, where she is developing programming to better represent the experiences of queer survivors. As VP of Planned Parenthood Generation Temple University, she is supporting and pushing an initiative to bring emergency contraceptive vending machines to campus. Ray is a member of the Student Leadership Council which connects graduating classes with the TU Alumni Association, and sits on the Temple University Police Department Student Advisory Board where she provides feedback to increase levels of comfortability between students, residents, and officers. Currently, she is a nominee by the City of Philadelphia for “Iconic Philly Woman 2024,” as well as a Truman Scholar Finalist. She is also an ambassador for Callisto–an encrypted matching system for survivors of sexual violence–and a Campus Lead for the Every Voice Coalition, where she promotes survivor-based legislation in Pennsylvania. Previously, she has interned at Take Back the Night Foundation, Network for Victim Recovery of DC, and Break the Cycle.
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Q: Why do you want to be TSG President?
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"As a life-long activist, I have witnessed injustice amongst my peers, and later, seen their voices ignored; I sincerely believe that the experiences of each student at Temple University deserve to be heard and echoed, loudly. I recognize that while every student deserves validation, they may not have the time to advocate fully for themselves while maintaining a steady work/life balance. It is my opinion that the role of Temple Student Government is to work tirelessly to represent those voices, advocate for necessary change, and go above and beyond to offer nuanced and personalized solutions to members of our community, whether those members are students or residents of the North Philadelphia area.
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In the positions of leadership I currently occupy, I have been able to assist both student survivors and students seeking reproductive healthcare; however, I am passionate about helping students on a larger scale, on a wider range of issues. I have countless ideas about how to improve life for our community, and reimagine Temple as an even greater university, and I am positive that I am equipped with the experience and proper skills to deliver on those ideas."
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Q: What type of leader are you?​
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"For me, leadership has always been defined by a fervent dedication to the representation of those who are often neglected. Being a true leader means engaging unheard voices, listening to new perspectives, and consistently adjusting goals to breathe life into received feedback. True leadership is selfless; it is always about representing something bigger than yourself. Beyond that, leadership means ensuring there are actions to backup my promises. I am a firm believer that actions speak louder than words, and in every leadership position I have held, I have made sure to never make a promise that I could not keep. Transparency is key."
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Q: When it comes to teamwork, how do you work with people?​
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"I have extensive experience in organizing and overseeing a team of people. In constructing my student organization, “Student Activists Against Sexual Assault” it was my priority to ensure that no matter which role a member of the team occupied, their voices and ideas carried equal weight in every conversation. That is how I plan to construct TSG if elected; I would guarantee an environment where every director, team member, and constituent felt comfortable providing constructive criticism, feedback, and pitching personal ideas. I see this role not as an opportunity to voice my own opinions and concerns alone, but as a chance to elevate the opinions and needs of an entire campus. Being president isn’t just about my vision for the university, it’s about being someone who is accessible and has the skills to push forward the vision of my community, and that is someone I know I can be."
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Q: What are your qualifications and how do you plan to represent the students best?
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"I have spent the past two years listening to the unmet needs of our incredible student body, and brainstorming solutions. In my own student organization, I have supported survivors by connecting them with resources, organizing intimate gatherings where they could share their stories, and working with Temple University’s Police Department to ensure that their methods are trauma-informed. I conceptualized and co-organized with TUPD a film and forum screening of the documentary film “Victim/Suspect” which exposes disturbing police practices, opening a panel of activists, police, and students for questioning to increase accountability for the officers in our city. In less than a few a months of running SAASA, I organized a bi-annual, mandatory workshop for each fraternity rush season, featuring a screening of the campus sexual assault documentary “The Hunting Ground” and an interactive discussion to follow.
Last year I ran for VP of Temple Student Government, which was quite possibly the most enriching and enlightening endeavor I have yet to pursue. I lost, but that didn’t stop me from allowing the experience to transform me. I spent every day of last election season speaking in classrooms, talking to constituents about the needs they felt weren’t being met, and sitting down with student organizations to find out how to make Temple a greater institution. I listened, and I adjusted my policies that were relevant, when I heard an idea that did not relate to a policy I had already conceptualized, I didn’t dismiss their idea, instead, I wrote a new policy. I pride myself on the fact that when someone comes to me with an idea or asking for help, I will make it my mission to do everything in my power to create a solution. I believe that what makes me most qualified to be your president, is that I am cognizant of the fact that I do not presently have all of the answers; that is what is being president is about, understanding that your job is not to know everything, but to listen and go out of your way to make sure everyone is comfortable talking to you. I promise not to pretend I know everything about everyone’s experience (because no one does), I promise not only to keep my door open, but to go outside and seek your opinions, to come to you and make myself accessible so that you don’t have to go out of your way to be heard. I promise to listen."
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Q: What new ideas and innovations can you bring to the position and TSG as a whole?
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"I would construct TSG as an environment where every cabinet members’ voice and opinion carries equal weight, and beyond that, any voice or opinion we heard from a student outside of the cabinet we were meeting for the first time would be equal. I want to foster an environment where constructive feedback and even criticism is welcome, where every student on campus feels their opinion will influence my decisions. That is how I have always viewed leadership, and I believe my perspective will bring a unique comfortability and sense of transparency to the TSG office. I would plan to do bi-weekly reports of everything TSG is working on, and release those reports through social media so that information is accessible to students and they are aware that there is a team of people working to represent and include them at all times. One of my largest goals for TSG is to increase engagement from constituents, and that is a task I am well-practiced in. I have a background in communications and organizational growth. In one year of my student organization’s existence, our group chat held 200 members; in two years, that group chat has grown to a population of nearly 500. I want TSG to be in students’ Instagram and TikTok feeds, always updating, always asking for feedback, always providing opportunities for students to voice their opinions in public forums.
I would ensure that both Pub Webb and Maxi’s receive Safe-Bar Certification from WOAR (Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence), as well as advocating for both bars to offer drink covers so that students seeking celebration have to worry just a little less about their safety and vulnerabilities that accompany drinking. I plan to continue working on an initiative born out of one of my student organizations, “Planned Parenthood Generation Temple University” to increase access and anonymity when seeking emergency contraception by installing a vending machine. I plan to advocate for shared meal swipes and meal swipe rollovers, because no student should be hungry on this campus because their friend is at risk for deciding what to do with the meal swipes that they paid for. I plan to prioritize a movement for diversifying Tuttleman therapist hires, because no student should sit across from a mental health professional they don’t feel completely seen by."
Why Kiyah?
Kiyah Hamilton is someone who believes diversity, inclusion, and community should be the top priority! As a Health Professions major wanting to go into the medical field, Kiyah believes everyone’s voice should be heard and taken into consideration. Career-wise, she wants to become a Doctor of Oncology, and wants to provide more than medical assistance to her patients, she wants those going through something like cancer to know there is someone in their corner. As a recent transfer student in the Spring of 2024, she has not had the chance to make a large and outstanding impact on the community here at Temple but she believes she is just opening the door to her chances of reimagining Temple. Kiyah is a part of PPGTU- Temple’s chapter of Planned Parenthood Generation Action–whose biggest project at the moment is advocating for an emergency contraceptive vending machine on Temple’s campus. This vending machine would help create a safe space for those needing emergency contraceptives without any hassle and fear. At her previous institute, Kiyah was a part of the “Stockton Action Volunteers for the Environment (S.A.V.E)”: an organization that conducted monthly beach cleanups In her free time, Kiyah enjoys volunteering such as being a volunteer for a Philadelphia-based sleepaway camp, “Camp Bright Feathers”, as a camp counselor for kids and families affected by HIV and AIDS which she has been a part of for most of her life. She also helps volunteer for NextGen: America and helps students register to vote so that their voices can be heard by those in Government positions. Outside of Temple, Kiyah has worked at two local waterparks in her hometown of Clementon, New Jersey since she was 16: Clementon Park and Splash World It was here that she was being trained in basic life support (BLS) and CPR. She became a supervisor/lifeguard instructor two years ago and loves to teach others a job she enjoys. She was the head of the employee incentive program at Clementon Park and was the main point of contact for making sure employees knew they were appreciated!
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Q: Why do you want to be TSG Vice President?
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"As a woman of color and recent transfer to Temple,I am confident that I have ideas that can be beneficial to Temple’s community. Transferring to Temple meant I knew there was a great deal of potential here and I am positive that I can enhance student life here at Temple and provide the feeling of excitement I had when deciding on a school. Moreover, I am not unfamiliar with fighting injustice in all aspects of life. I want to be the voice for those who feel like no one is listening. I understand that Temple is a community of so many people, with so many different varieties of interests, with one common goal of making Temple a great community during our years in college. I don’t want to just be a leader, I want to be a friend and a safe place."
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Q: What type of leader are you?​
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"To me, being a leader is not about how you can “lead,” but more about how those around you feel about your lead; a leader is nothing without their team and I am not a true leader if those around me—whether in TSG or just the student body—do not feel comfortable or believe in what I can do. I consider myself to be a leader who puts myself in the shoes of others, a leader who will go the extra mile, and most importantly, the leader whose job is never done. I am an honest leader who will speak up for those who need it but also when I cannot complete a job. I will be honest when talking about putting things in motion specifically on what this would mean for the student body and what is actually being done."
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Q: When it comes to teamwork, how do you work with people?​
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"To me, teamwork is crucial, as I cannot make a decision that will affect others without the input of those it will affect. Working in a team is about taking a step back and realizing that you are not the only one who must carry heavy burdens. There is a team for a reason. An effective team is about learning, sharing, and listening. I am confident I have the ability to lead but also to give others their time and place. Communication is also a big part of a team; I am a strong believer that issues can be resolved with communication and organization, and these two things cannot be done alone."
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Q: What are your qualifications and how do you plan to represent the students best?
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"​My qualifications for this role range from work ethic to beliefs. While my resume is not the longest, I believe what makes me qualified is who I am as a person. To begin, I am a diligent worker. I will go the distance to do everything in my power for things I am passionate about and things passionate to those around me. I have worked multiple customer service jobs where I learned how to talk and handle a range of interactions. With this I have never had any issues, I have always handled the situation and made sure those with any issues felt taken care of and satisfied by the end. I also am no stranger to organizing events, such as classes and parties for my previously mentioned lifeguard job, which had incredible turnouts.
Secondly, as a transfer student I have the experience of not being somewhere I felt I belonged. What drew me to Temple was the resources and the people here. I am confident I can elevate these resources and shine a light on those who deserve their flowers, allowing other transfer students to feel the draw to Temple as I did. Finally, I believe everyone deserves their voices to be heard. Whether big or small problems, I can be that shoulder to lean on and ear to listen to; I want to be the one to reach out to those to make sure people know I am a resource. I take pride in knowing I can help those who need it. With having such an open mind I feel I work well as a leader, teacher, or whatever I need to be to help. I take criticism well and am not afraid to admit I was wrong. I know I can represent the student body the best because of my capabilities and who I am. My biggest plan for representing the students is fighting for what they believe in, even if it is not something I am not affected by."
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Q: What new ideas and innovations can you bring to the position and TSG as a whole?
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"IMy ideas for the position would be to make sure everyone from TSG carries equal responsibility, meaning that the task delegation per member does not exceed more than they can handle I want those a part of TSG to know that it also is not just their responsibility to create innovative initiatives, but that being in this position means taking a step back and learning about what and how things could be better! I would want there to be an easily accessible (physical and online) anonymous place for those to put comments, questions, and concerns so that we are learning about what and how the student body feels, at least weekly. I want students to know that TSG is a resource for themselves or their organizations. This would also include having a greater social media presence. We live in a day-in-age where social media is a resource and that resource should be utilized in creating a better rapport with the student body.
As for policies to create a better Temple, my biggest concern would be the use of meal swipes for those who may need but can not afford them. This would be a great idea to implement, with the removal of diamond dollars, most basic meals at places such as Chick-fil-A and Wingstop can cost up to two meals due to cents going over the one-meal limit. This creates an issue for those who have a finite number of meal swipes (such as 5, 10, and 12) which could run out by the end of the week. A student's priority should not be where their next meal will come from. As a student, I’ve had a surplus of meal swipes by the end of the week and if I could share them with someone in need I would in a heartbeat.
A second policy I think worth implementing would be a push for an easier way to track the ‘Flight’ shuttle service, this would mean seeing in the moment where the shuttle is, that way it’s easier to know what stop, and that way students aren’t waiting for more than a couple minutes for the shuttle to arrive. This is something that also has affected me personally, as well as something I’ve seen done at other campuses such as Lehigh University, where you can see each of their buses on one app and in real time you can see the bus moving on the app.
Some other policies I would strive to achieve is bridging the gap between student-run organizations, particularly of color, and TSG. As well as continuing my initiative to bring non-invasive and more anonymous ways of obtaining emergency contraceptives on campus with PPGTU. My main goal is to strive to enhance life at Temple. I hope you’ll continue to follow Ray and me in our campaign and that you know your voice deserves to be heard."