Student regents get to sit at the table with government-appointed, middle-aged businesspeople and take part in million-dollar decisions that affect the future of UNM.
This year, Cate Wisdom will be the first undergraduate to take the student regent seat, and she intends to make the most of it.
Cooperation will be crucial for getting priorities straight and funds appropriated to the projects that matter most, Wisdom said.
"I feel collaboration is going to be a really important part of the Board of Regents," she said. "I'm looking forward to working closely with other regents. I want students to feel like they can come and talk to me about their concerns."
Jack Fortner, vice president of the Board of Regents, said the Legislature changed the law about 15 years ago to include a student as part of the Board of Regents. This was done so the regents would receive student input and so that a student representative would have access to open meetings and closed meetings, Fortner said.
"Every time we get a new student regent, I'm impressed at how much a student knows, how insightful they are and how helpful they are in keeping a balanced point of view for the Board of Regents," Fortner said.
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Lissa Knudsen, GPSA Council Chair, said the competition for the student regent position begins with recommendations from ASUNM and GPSA. All the applications eventually go to the governor, who interviews the finalists and chooses one student to recommend to the board.
ASUNM President Ashley Fate said Wisdom is a perfect fit for the position.
"Cate is one of the most phenomenal people I've ever met," Fate said. "She is the epitome of what a student regent should be because she has integrity, she's incredibly smart, and she loves UNM, first and foremost. It's really exciting that she's the first undergraduate for the board."
Wisdom grew up on the West Side of Albuquerque. She attended Cibola High School, where she played soccer and was involved in student government.
Wisdom, now a junior, said that as soon as she was accepted to UNM, she signed on to work with ASUNM. She's also a volunteer for Lobo Spirit and has been involved with ASUNM Community Experience, which puts on projects such as Spring Storm and Fall Frenzy. Wisdom went to Santa Fe for an ASUNM initiative, has been involved with UNM Trailblazers, and has been a member of Alpha Chi Omega.
"By getting involved, I really learned a lot of things in college, met a lot of people, and I really developed a passion for the University," she said. "I'm involved with the Board of Regents as a way to continue to serve the
University and help me grow and to make sure that other students get the same possibilities I was given."
