On Friday, April 24, the Brandeis Student Union held its annual State of the Union address, where members of the Student Union and the student body were able to reflect on the past year and celebrate their accomplishments. 

     The address was held in Sherman Function Hall and began at approximately 4:30 p.m., offering catering from Veggie Crust. The event began with opening remarks from Student Union President Ria Escamilla-Gil ’27, who reflected on her time serving in the group. Escamilla-Gil shared that she was initially a bit overwhelmed upon joining the Student Union, but “quickly found role models” and grew more comfortable with her role. Escamilla-Gil noted that the role of the Student Union is to support the student body and lauded the group’s hard work throughout the year. She also extended her thanks to Vice President of Student Affairs Andrea Dine, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Shelby Harris and the Director of Student Engagement Michelle Puls, who serves as Student Union advisor. 

     Escamilla-Gil then transitioned into a look at the group’s achievements throughout the academic year. During the fall semester, the Student Union’s notable achievements included the approval of over $200,000 in student enhancement grants from the Allocations Board, as well as 12 new club recognitions from the Union Senate. In the spring 2026 semester, Escamilla-Gil noted the executive board’s approval of four new constitutional amendments, as well as the Treasury’s participation in club leader training and the Allocations Board’s review of over $1.5 million in Marathon funding requests. Escamilla-Gil also extended her thanks to Jeffrey Shoulson, Vice Provost of Undergraduate Affairs, for his support throughout the year. 

     The event moved into a senior farewell celebration, where each of the graduating seniors of the Student Union was presented with a certificate to recognize their service, and was spoken about briefly to commemorate their work. 

     Following the senior celebration, Escamilla-Gil presented various awards to members with exceptional levels of service and commitment to the Student Union. The Rising Leader of the Student Union Award was presented to Davian Pagan ’29, who was celebrated as someone who “has shown a lot of growth.” The Best New Club Award was presented to the newly approved DeisBikes program. The Student Senate Committee of the Year Award was presented to the Internal Operations Committee, headed by Emily Cristales Guevara ’28, as they were recognized as a group that “continued to show excellence.” The Most Trusted Adult Award was given to Deepa Khatri, the associate director for burdget in the Department of Student Engagement, who was not in attendance but received a large round of applause. The Special Senior Award was awarded to Anna Weiss ’26 for her work on the Student Union Executive Board. Finally, the Innovator of the Year Award, which is given to someone who “has been innovative through legislative procedures,” was presented to Senator-at-Large Luke Farberman ’27. 

     The event then transitioned to the inauguration of the next Student Union Executive Board leaders, Daniel Shin ’27 and Monica Lopez Hernandez ’28, who will serve as President and Vice-President, respectively. After both students took the Oath of Office, they each made brief remarks about their time in the Student Union and their plans for the future. Shin began by sharing a similar sentiment as Escamilla-Gil, and noted that he felt “uncertain” when he first joined the organization. Shin expressed his thanks to his fellow members of the Senate for encouraging him to share his ideas and take initiative. He also touched on his plans for the future, and shared that “I want to acknowledge something bigger” by bringing back valued Brandeis traditions and events. He also expressed his willingness to learn from others, and promised he would “always listen to your feedback.” 

     Lopez Hernandez then proceeded with brief remarks and shared that she was initially hesitant when joining the Student Union because “I was the only person that looked like me in the room.” In her previous role as Student Union Secretary, she felt she established meaningful relationships with members of the Executive Board. In her new role, she stated that she will work to support Shin and his efforts and hopes to make “some sort of change in the world, big or small.” Lopez Hernandez concluded by expressing her thanks to those who supported her and placed their trust in her. 

     Escamilla-Gil concluded the event with closing remarks and expressed her thanks to the various groups that had made the Student Union’s year so successful, including the Executive Board, the Allocations Board and the Treasury. She specifically noted that she “can’t think of anyone else better for the role” as Student Union Vice President than Lopez Hernandez and noted her sibling-like relationship with Shin. She finally expressed her thanks to Michelle Puls, who she described as “a tremendous help.”

      After the official State of the Union address concluded, the group moved on to a game of Kahoot where they sought to identify members of the Student Union from their baby pictures. Ultimately, the group was able to reflect on the past year’s successes and celebrate their accomplishments in a relaxed setting, though they have begun to prepare for the coming year.

— Editor’s Note: The Justice News Editor Ashhwika Soni is a Student Union Senator and did not contribute to or edit this article.