After serving as executive-at-large in her sophomore year and treasurer in the Student Union during her junior year, junior Uma Hardeo was elected as Student Union vice president for the 2026-2027 school year. 

After running unopposed alongside incoming Student Union President Aki Benjamin, Uma said she hopes to use her experience to strengthen the connection between the Student Union and the student body.  

Uma said her journey in the Student Union went in a direction she hadn’t originally expected. “I didn’t think that I would end up in this position,” Uma said. “When I was Executive-at-Large, I had no idea what I wanted to do.”

As treasurer, Uma said she has focused this past year on revamping the fundraising request system, creating a cost-offset request form for clubs, expanding fundraising opportunities, and distributing unused club funds to different clubs with greater financial needs. 

“One of the biggest things [to achieve] going into this role was making sure that clubs and academic teams felt like they had more financial support,” Uma said. “Students shouldn’t have to worry about financial costs being a barrier to attending competitions and leadership opportunities.”

Outgoing Student Union President Jenna Abdelhamid credited Uma with changing the treasurer role for the better. “I would describe Uma as very driven and very innovative,” Jenna said. “She really transformed the treasury position this year…making it something that is more collaborative between the clubs and the Student Union, and then also having a pathway of information and communication with admins.”

Coordinator of Student Activities Jaime Baranoff said she has worked closely with Uma since her freshman year, watching her develop as a leader. “I love working with Uma,” Ms. Baranoff said. “She is responsible. She is thorough. She plans ahead. She can handle things on her own, but she’s also good at working with others.”

Ms. Baranoff also praised the impact Uma has had as treasurer. “She has transformed the position, the roles and responsibilities,” she said. 

Beyond Uma’s accomplishments, many SU members highlighted Uma’s ability to support and connect with others. Incoming Secretary sophomore Siddhini Singh described her as both a leader and mentor. “Uma is just such a nice person. She’s truly like an older sister, whether it’s in the SU or outside,” Siddhini said. “She’s always sweet and doesn’t hesitate to offer us help.”

Siddhini also noted how much work Uma has done behind the scenes. “A lot of people don’t realize that a lot of the events we do end up having are simply because of her and the things that she wants to add for the school,” said Siddhini. “She’s just such a hard worker, and I really look up to her.”

Incoming Senior Class President Jordana Lo described Uma as “extremely organized” and someone she can always rely on. “I know that I can go to her for anything…she’s someone who’s really great to work with,” she said. 

Aki said choosing Uma as a running mate was an easy decision after years of working together. “When I was choosing a running mate, I could not have imagined anyone better than Uma,” Aki said. “She’s very competent. She knows what she’s doing.”

“She adds a really good voice to the Student Union,” he said. “I think she’s going to bring us in great directions.”

As Vice President, Uma said she hopes to increase communication between the SU and students. “We want to make sure the Student Union is not just making decisions off of what they believe the student body may want,” Uma said. “We want to actually reach out to students and see what they want from the Student Union.”

Looking ahead to next year, Uma is “most excited about being able to connect to the student body more.” 

Uma said, “I want students to feel like they have a voice and that they can help shape what the Student Union does.”