Communication and Media major Genesis Fernandez was surprised to find out she was elected as a representative during the Fall 2023 semester to both the CUNY SPS Student Association and Governing Council.

As Fernandez explained, she was the only student from last semester to sign up for both elected positions.

“I figured my chances were good and if I didn’t get one of the elected positions,” she said, “maybe I’ll get another one.”

In her first year involved in Student Life and third year attending SPS, Fernandez faced obstacles in her coursework towards a degree from SPS. However, she also expressed an appreciation of the online format which steered her to create a group chat for all the classes, interact with other classmates, and decide to sign up for Student Life.

“I am always going to be that person [who says what] needs to be said, and how can I advocate for myself and other students,” she explained. “I figure going towards the Student Association and Governing Council is a good way to do that.”

Fernandez’s previous education began with college credit courses at CUNY Kingsborough Community College and then Queensborough Community College for Dance. That plan fell through, but eventually she received an Associate’s degree from SUNY Nassau Community College.

Explaining her reason for studying Communication and Media at SPS, the curriculum was already familiar to Fernandez since high school. Mainly, it was less of the major and more of the school that led her to SPS’s Communication and Media program.

As an elected Student Association and Governing Council representative, Fernandez explained her main focus and plans to work with the New York Birth Control Access Project to advocate, get funding, and expand students’ sexual health education.

“There is this young woman named Rochelle Rodney who was able to have a vending machine in John Jay College where you can access birth control, Plan B, and condoms at an affordable rate,” she said. “It would be great to advocate [for] these vending machines across CUNY, hopefully, SUNY, and all New York City schools.”