Meet your Council of Presidents: A Q&A with GPSA’s Michelle Sullivan Govani
This article is the fifth in a series of Q&As with ASU’s current undergraduate and graduate presidents. Read the Q&As with ASU’s Downtown Phoenix, West, Polytechnic and Tempe presidents.
Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, PhD candidate Michelle Sullivan Govani ran for ASU student government because she wanted to be more embedded within the ASU community. She stayed involved because of the direct impact she saw that student government makes in Sun Devils’ lives.
As president of the Graduate and Professional Student Association, Govani represents graduate students across all ASU campuses.
“Many years ago, I ran for office because I wanted to be more embedded in the ASU community and help improve the lives of graduate students,” she said. “I’ve continued to run for other positions because I love my GPSA team and am energized by the fact that we can have a real, positive impact on our peers and on ASU in general.”
Govani spoke to ASU Student Life about her time as president of the Graduate and Professional Student Association and her experiences as a Sun Devil.
Michelle Sullivan Govani
What do you love about your ASU campus?
GPSA is on all campuses; we serve and represent students no matter which campus they call home. And every campus has its own unique character, which I love!
Which project have you been most proud of in your time as president of GPSA?
This is a difficult question. Throughout my entire GPSA tenure, I’m probably most proud of our work to fight the 2017 tax increases on graduate student tuition waivers. It was amazing to see our community come together to take a united, effective stance.
As president this year, it’s been overwhelming to work with a large team of enthusiastic, brilliant executives, directors and Assembly members. It’s such a privilege to help them accomplish their goals. We’ve hosted empowering leadership and well-being summits, produced a mentoring compact, cultivated community through social events and programming, engaged in advocacy work with the state and federal legislative processes and provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel and research support for ASU graduate students. And that’s not even a half-complete list!
Where are you from?
Des Moines, Iowa.
What are your plans after graduation?
I plan to stay in Phoenix. I love it here, especially at ASU, and would love to keep having a positive impact on the community.
This summer, I will launch my career in higher education policy and practice as a University Innovation Fellow with ASU’s Office of University Initiatives. I’m inspired and motivated by ASU’s Charter, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue having a positive impact on the community I’ve grown to call home (and beyond!).
Why did you choose ASU?
I chose ASU because of the doctoral program I was applying for. I was interested in a program that would allow me to study science and scientific issues in a more interdisciplinary setting, and ASU was quite obviously the best place to do that. Since being here I’ve been able to take classes and work with professors from across different schools and research centers to create a research program unique to me and my questions of interest.
What would you say to someone who was thinking about getting involved in USG or GPSA?
I got involved with student government because I wanted to give back to and learn more about my community, but I got so much in return as well. I’ve made close friends, learned about how ASU functions, met interesting people and challenged myself to learn and adapt to new situations quickly. The skills I’ve gained, from team leadership to budget management, will help me in my career post graduation, too.
Don’t doubt, especially at ASU, that you can have a positive impact as a student leader and learn valuable lessons in the process. Go for it!
What’s your favorite memory at ASU so far?
When I think back, my favorite memories have been the good times and support made possible by my friends (who are fellow ASU graduate students).
Graduate school is challenging; it’s supposed to be. I’m so grateful that I’ve found friends who I trust and who understand the unique difficulties of graduate school. We know how to support each other through the doubts, struggles and stresses, and we help each other celebrate wins and successes, big and small!