Winter 2025 Candidates
Executive Committee (EC)
President
Tanya Mryglod (they/she)
Hello! My name is Tanya and I’m a 4th year Jewellery + Metals major at AUArts. I’ve been involved in AUArts through my previous term as President of the AUArts Students’ Association, my previous role as the 2023-2024 Jewellery + Metals Department Representative with the Student Leadership Council, or volunteering within the community. I’m currently also the president of Cloth Club and I previously directed The Vortex Gallery (4th floor, Jewellery + Metals, Student Run Gallery) as well as frequently participating in take down/set up of exhibitions in the Main Mall.
If reelected, I intend to continue to work on: expanding the Student Pantry and creating long term succession plans for the health of the pantry, continue to expand the available Mental Health supports on campus, and improving communications with students between AUArts and AUArts Students’ Association.
During my previous term as president, I improved AUArts visibility in Calgary by building connections with other local Student Association and Union like MRUSU and UoCSU. I assisted with the Presidential Search Committee to assist the Board of Governors in hiring the new President & CEO of AUArts as the only student representative on this committee. I chaired and guided a team of elected officials and permanent staff from the AUArts Students’ Association in the hiring of our new Executive Director, Anna Kinderwater. I have also been working diligently with the AUArts Students’ Association to address issues such as transparency, assisting with audits, developing and streamlining our financial practices, and budget planning. This work not only eases burden from staff and creates peace of mind for students but also works towards eliminating the Students’ Association operational deficit which has followed the Students’ Association for 5+ years.
Additionally, I was chairing our Student Leadership Council for the full duration of term. I assisted Abbey Leach (2024-25 Vice President of Academic Affairs) in reestablishing Policy Committee (for the first time in two years!) and guiding Murray Wittmeier (2024-25 Vice President of External Relations) in the creation of IDEA committee which is now a standing committee for addressing Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility concerns. I also participated in and served as minute taker for Events Committee and Finance Committee.
I believe my time during my 2024-25 term has built a strong foundation that I can continue to build off of for my next term. If reelected, I intend to dedicate my summer to continuing to refine and update the Students’ Association Bylaws, Policies, and Procedures. There has been tremendous work done this past year but there is still room for improvement. Streamlining process and communication remains of upmost importance to me and I look forward to serving an additional term.
If you have questions, concerns, or comments do not hesitate to contact me. I’m typically running around the school every day and you’re always welcome to say hi!
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Executive Committee (EC)
Vice President of External Relations
Murray Wittmeier (they/he)
Hi! My name is Murray Wittmeier. I am a queer, trans, and disabled ceramics major, and I am re-running for my position as Vice President of External Relations. I have learned so much in the past year, and I am eager to continue my work in advocating in the best interests for my community of fellow artists.
One of the major goals I accomplished during this past term is establishing a new sub-committee within the Students’ Association called IDEA committee. My intentions with this are to foster collaboration and communication around concerns regarding equity, diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility. In these meetings, my collaborators and I discuss and present recommendations on how to improve EDIA initiatives on campus. It would be my honour to continue this work and create more conversations and solid actions for the betterment of the community here at AUArts.
Another major part of this role is government advocacy, which is facilitated by the Alberta Students Executive Council. We prioritize asks to bring to meetings with elected officials, usually at provincial and municipal levels. Some of the most notable points that I have brought forward are increasing and extending various grants that are dedicated to mental health on campus as well as food insecurity.
It would be my pleasure and privilege to serve a second term as Vice President of External Relations. So, please vote for me! Thanks so much!
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Executive Committee (EC)
Vice President of Student Life
Evan Palmer (any)
Hi everyone! My name is Evan, and this is my fourth year of study at AUArts. I'm a drawing major and glass minor, and enjoy talking about character design, comics, animation and video games. You may recognize me as a gallery attendant from the Illingworth Kerr Gallery, where I answer questions students have about exhibitions and events the gallery's hosting.
During my time as a gallery attendant, I've become familiar with AUArts students and the culture of our community, and hope to continue contributing to an environment that promotes quality student experiences, relationships, and opportunities for engagement.
As someone who grew up feeling excluded because of being neurodivergent, I'm aware of the importance of having reliable opportunities in student life communities and plan on providing experiences where students can develop relationships and connections with each other. I'd additionally like to discuss student's ideas or concerns about the AUArts community and the ways we can develop it together to promote the wellbeing of all students.
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you see me around campus and have any feedback on expanding your experiences as a student, or if there’s anything else you'd like to discuss.
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Executive Committee (EC)
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Abbey Leach (she/her)
Hi everyone!
My name is Abbey Leach (she/her) and I am the current Vice President of Academic Affairs and seeking re-election to my role. I’m finishing my third year studying towards a Bachelor of Design with a concentration in Character Design and minor in Animation. I’ve been serving diligently as the VP Academic for the past year, and I would love the opportunity to continue the work I’ve started in this role. This includes advocating for institutional transparency, championing accessibility, and amplifying student voices. I am working to expand options for students when it comes to creative exploration and electives, strengthening communication to students within program areas, and advertising opportunities to learn skills that equip students for opportunities after graduation.
As VPA this year, I have: started up our policy committee again for the first time in 6 years in order to review and update our bylaws to better serve the ever-changing student body, including adding additional SLC representative positions for Advertising, First Year Studies, and the MFA program; championed the creation of the SCD Student Engagement Committee in order to foster more on-campus opportunities and engagement for students in Design programs; facilitated student outreach and awareness of Students’ Association programs through presentations during New Student Orientation and with student groups; represented and advocated for student interests on internal AUArts committees such as clear communication around attendance policies, and clarifying processes around submitting course and instructor concerns as well as supporting students through the complaints process.
I am excited about the opportunity to continue my work in the next academic year. For this upcoming term, my goals are:
- Conduct a complete review and overhaul of our current policies and procedures manual to ensure transparent communication and fair treatment for students in all areas of Students’ Association business. This includes developing a new Student Groups policy to better serve our growing student population and solidify resources and supports.
- Advocate for changes on campus to encourage more student engagement such as working with AUArts on updates to home studios, providing more professional development instruction, sharing more opportunities for cross-department collaboration, and providing a platform for students to share relevant extracurricular activities and events.
- Lobby for student rights within the institution, including working with AUArts to find more ways to support student mental health by gathering student feedback, expressing student concerns to improve and bolster academic life, finding ways to increase clarity and ease of communication with students around academic procedures such as complaints and accommodations, and encouraging open and clear communication between AUArts and students
- Protect the longevity and efficacy of the AUArts SA by increasing visibility and engagement with our governance procedures.
When I’m not at AUArts, I like to spend my free time creative writing, nerding out about sci-fi, and exploring new artistic mediums. One of my favourite things to do is collaborate with other creatives to produce projects about 2SLGBTQIA+, neurodiverse, and other unconventional stories from local emerging artists. Whether I’m working and studying at AUArts or creating stories with my friends, my goal is always to centre my actions on compassion, justice, and kindness.
Vote for me so that I can continue the work I’ve started as a strong student advocate and voice for collaborative change :)
Student Leadership Council (SLC)
School of Communications Design (SCD)
Character Design
Winelson Siarthadinata (he/him)
Hi everyone! I’m Winelson Siarthadinata, a third-year student in Character Design & Illustration with a passion for storytelling through characters games, comics, and films. I’m excited to be running for the Character Design Student Leadership Council (SLC) position. I have always wanted to help our community thrive by sharing professional resources, fostering collaborative and supportive relationships, and reinforcing the necessary skills required to work in the industry.
Working as a character designer is incredibly laborious and demanding. It requires extensive research, a strong understanding of fundamentals, and most importantly, a persisting desire to solve problems. As character designers, we are fortunate to have the ability to create complex characters that people are drawn to. It’s more than drawing a cool character; character designers explore the nuance of a character’s story, emotions, and beliefs. Acknowledging how demanding this field can be, I believe that collaboration and perseverance are key to success.
Outside of AUArts, I have taken self-directed courses from professionals like Proko, Modern Day James, and Knight Zhang (Arucelli). These courses have not only taught me technical skills in anatomy, figure drawing, and perspective, but they also gave me insight into the industry which I hope to share with our community.
As the SLC Character Design representative, I want to:
• Prepare character design students for the industry through organizing career-relevant opportunities
(ex. portfolio critique, collaborative creation, presentation skill development, etc.)
• Encourage character design students to refine their skills outside of the classroom through pop-up workshops and activities
(ex. figure drawing sessions, anatomy studies, analyzing professional work, etc.)
• Promote student engagement and involvement at AUArts through fostering a close community of students in character design and other design majors
If you want to be part of a passionate and productive community of character designers, I would love to have your support!
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Graphic Design
Priya Shukle (any)
INTRODUCTION – About Me
Hi! I’m Priya Shukle, a 3rd year Graphic Design and Advertising student at AUArts and I want to be your Graphic Design representative on the Student Leadership Council (SLC).
Through organizing events, sharing resources, and connecting our community, I hope to create more design-specific opportunities for School of Communications Design (SCD) students at AUArts.
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE – What I Bring to The Table
On- and off-campus experience connects me to the values, wants, and needs of graphic design students at AUArts as well as allowing me to connect students to resources and opportunities outside of the classroom.
Off-campus, my volunteer experience on the RGD (Association of Registered Graphic Designers) Student Committee brings relevant knowledge and connections to the position. At AUArts, my experience moderating the SCD Community Discord and working as a Graphic Designer and Shelver at the Library / Learning Commons has fuelled my passion to further my commitment to assisting students as a Graphic Design representative.
INITIAL GOALS – How I Plan to Support You
• Facilitate/improve design-specific spaces and communities at AUArts
o Feel encouraged and excited to be at school outside of studies
o Strengthen our peer-network
• Collaborate with SCD representatives to connect different SCD concentrations and years through SCD-specific:
o On-campus events and opportunities
o Networking and social activities
o Connections and resources
• Listen to feedback from graphic design students
o Help graphic design students feel supported and celebrated at AUArts
CLOSING STATEMENTS
If you’ve ever felt like your experience at AUArts exists only during class hours, I hope I can change that for the better with more design-specific support and engagement. If elected, I hope to build community, opportunities, and give design students a reason stick-around outside of class and have some fun at AUArts.
Thank you for your support!
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Illustration
Rylie Landry (they/she)
I'm Rylie, a current second-year going on third year, the Co-leader of Toon Town (leader of Comic City) and overall illustration and design enthusiast. I want to represent the illustration department because I believe in an active community, and extending more opportunities to our illustration department. Through Toon Town, I have hosted Illustration based workshops and led meetings, as well as participated in and helped set-up multiple galleries throughout the school (Toon Town, First year show, SCD show). Outside of that, I also interact with individuals of other majors through student-run clubs (Dead bird Society, Auarts Concert Ensemble), because I believe that the foundation of positive student connection is communication and participation. As the Illustration representative, I would host small events for the department as a means of forming a strong relationship between peers, and host illustration based galleries when possible. It is essential to help students feel like they have a reliable and fun community, while also promoting professional development.
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Illustration
John Asilo (he/him)
My name is John Asilo and I am a 2nd Year Illustration/Character Design major, interested in applying for the Illustration Student Leadership position for the SA!
I previously represented BDes General Studies in Fall 2023 on the SA and have continuously participated in student groups and advocacy during my time here at AUArts, being the co-director of Hawak Kamay Collective and currently working as a Student Ambassador. This year I worked alongside our current Illustration representative Serena Williamson, to organize our department's first "Illustration Picnic" and also took part as a curator for our Winter 2025 department show "Good Vibrations".
With this position, I wish to advocate for my illustration peers on three main avenues:
1) Department Community Building - through casual events and passion projects to build connections between years, alumni, and possibly instructors
2) Career Development Opportunities - portfolio days/preparation workshops, talks from Illustration alumni, opportunities to sell prints/stickers/original illustrations at school
3) Quality of Life - improvements made to the BDES General Studio Space to make it a secure and cosier space to work in
After being in the Illustration major for a year, and meeting all the talented and hardworking people within our department, I wish to be able to bring forward these concerns to our Student Association to develop concrete plans of action and make palpable change in our community.
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Student Leadership Council (SLC)
School of Visual Arts (SVA)
Painting
Enzo Amogan (he/him)
My name is Enzo Amogan. I am a painting major with an animation minor. For the past year my eyes have been opened to the directive that students in this school need to speak to each other more and have more unifying events. I have met many inspiring and talented individuals over the course of these past semesters and I wanted to be able to help bring their events to light. People from the Plein air club, or the Hawak Kamay collective, or the extra curricular band. Artists are people who often exist in the fringes of social experiences, whether due to their anxieties or philosophies. This school is an apex for people of this type to be able to connect and identify with other, and if nothing else I want to be a catalyst that facilitates this.
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Student Leadership Council (SLC)
School of Craft + Emerging Media (SCEM)
Glass
TaLeesha Mahe (she/they)
Hello, my name is TaLeesha Mahe, and I am a third-year Glass major excited to run for Glass Representative on the Student Leadership Council. I have been slowly completing my BFA to absorb as much knowledge as possible and share it with my peers. I love walking around campus, meeting new people, and fostering connections. I’m passionate about building a strong, supportive community—one introduction at a time.
I’m running for this position because I believe every student deserves to be heard. I want to ensure glass students have a direct voice in discussions that affect us, without unnecessary barriers. This role allows me to gather student insights, share valuable information, and advocate for real change within AUArts.
My experience includes being an active member of the AUArts Glass Club since 2019 and managing the AUArts Glass Instagram page since 2022, connecting students with alumni and the larger glass community. I am also a member of Horse Club and Cloth Club, reinforcing my belief in interdisciplinary collaboration and the importance of cross-medium connections. Beyond glass, I document student work, blending my love for photography with advocacy.
As your Glass Representative, my goal is to keep students informed, ensure transparency, and strengthen our community. I will work to make sure every glass student feels seen, supported, and connected—both within AUArts and beyond.
Thank you for your support!
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Jewelry & Metals
Émilie Larochelle (she/her)
Hi there! My name is Émilie, if you're in the jewellery department often you might know me already as "Em", as a jewellery major I spend more time in those studios than I do in my own room. I am applying to be the Jewelry department rep as I heard that our current one will be graduating and someone needs to step up and take charge! I want the jewellery department's voice to continue being hard as sometimes it feels like our existence is forgotten by the rest of the school!
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Student Leadership Council (SLC)
Other Representatives
Bachelor of Fine Arts - General Studies
Thea Galang (she/they)
My name is Thea Galang, and I am the current BFA General Representative! I am in my second year of Sculpture, with a minor in Media Arts.
You may have seen me around the university doing odd jobs or guiding students regardless of their major. I love advising students and guiding them so that they can actively seek out the AUArts Student Association for any concerns! I also love to curate events, galleries and get-togethers not only with the AUArts Student Association and AUArts, but even outside of the university as the co-founder and co-director of Hawak Kamay Art Collective. I have a lot of experience, and students in the past have expressed their comfortability in asking me for help for forming their first collective, or curating their first exhibition!
These are only two of the many reasons why you should vote me to be the BFA General Representative (of your dreams!) Together, we can make this university a more interactive and funnier platform to play in.
Follow me on Instagram (@tthheeaagalang) to follow my advocacy campaign!
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Bachelor of Fine Arts - General Studies
Eto Umanah (she/her)
My name is Eto Umanah, and I am a first-generation Nigerian Immigrant currently working, playing, and living in Mohkinstis. I am interested in this position because I want to advocate for the wellness and needs of the student community at AUArts positively and contribute my background in communications, marketing, and event production to improve student life. I am currently a member of the Events Committee on campus, where I assist in the facilitation and delivery of on-campus events such as the brunch boost, Sexy Bingo night, etc. I also freelance as a social media assistant at Action Dignity, a Calgary-based NGO that advocates for the rights of marginalized groups such as racialized and disabled people. I love being an active participant in any community that I find myself in, and I am passionate about leadership, events, and organizational strategy/policy implementation. I regularly make donations to the student pantry in terms of dry foods and clothing, and I am a huge believer in giving back. I am a BFA painting student who has built skills in copywriting, video marketing, and social media management alongside my studies. My relationship with AUArts is remarkable, I have met so many creative people and learned so much from my gifted professors which has accelerated my creativity in a way that would have never occurred outside of this environment. AUArts gave me my first opportunity to win a grant and several other drawing gigs through the Classifieds website. It is truly a unique place and I will never forget my time here. I am interested in increasing food security on campus and suggesting more events that boost socializing and a sense of community on campus. I am also interested in optimizing the social media presence across the student association's various digital channels.
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International Students
Elizaveta Suldina (she/they)
Hello to everyone! My name is Elizaveta, and I am currently in my second year studying Character Design and Illustration with a minor in Comics. As an international student, I understand firsthand the unique challenges we face, which is why I am running for this position in the SLC — to ensure that international students' voices are heard and our needs are supported.
Some of you may already know me as the founder and co-director of P.A.P.A., a curator of some recent Gallery Crawl events, or even from my work assisting with the Show & Sale. These experiences have given me insight into the diverse perspectives and unique needs of our student body, and I am eager to contribute even more to our vibrant community.
My core goal is to foster a truly inclusive and welcoming environment for students of all backgrounds at AUArts, which means not only celebrating our diverse experiences, but also addressing the barriers we encounter. I will advocate for improved access to academic resources, further opportunities, and enhanced social supports, ensuring that international students feel confident and comfortable, both socially and academically.
Moving to a new country can create unique challenges, such as finding housing, job opportunities and healthcare, all while navigating the complexities of the Canadian immigration system and adjusting to an unfamiliar academic setting. I will push for greater institutional transparency and better communication between the university and students. Furthermore, I would also advocate for increased access to specialized academic support, such as English language and writing tutoring, to help international students succeed in their lecture courses or simply feel less insecure socializing with their peers.
Another key focus of mine is improving the support systems available to international students and newcomers, as adjusting to life in a new country can be especially taxing. I will work to focus on student well-being and improve access to counselling for all, with a particular emphasis on supporting students who identify as LGBTQ+, neurodiverse, POC, or newcomers.
International students need institutional support more than anyone else, and I am committed to advocating for us and ensuring we all receive the support we deserve. I believe that together, we can create a more vibrant and welcoming community at AUArts — one where everyone feels not just included, but truly celebrated, and I would be truly honoured to contribute to this vision as your SLC representative.