When Taylah Smith sat down alone in Political Science 100H: American Democracy in Changing Times on her first day of college in 2021, she said she turned to her left and found a friend in Jaleah Taylor.
Taylor, the current undergraduate student body secretary, was elected to be the 2024-25 student body president last week and will step into the position in April.
“There’s just no one else I’d really rather see sitting in the presidential chair than her, and I’ve known that since the very first day,” Smith, executive assistant to the current student body president Christopher Everett, said.
Taylor said she is most looking forward to connecting with a variety of students and campus organizations in her presidency.
She said she had a vision for her SBP campaign beginning in September. Hitting the ground running in the fall, Taylor said her campaign staff began researching and drafting policies on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, civic engagement and outreach services.
Some of her most significant policies address food insecurity on campus alongside the lack of transparency between students, student government and UNC administration.
“I realized there hadn’t been a leader that had done all that work and really made an effort to get to know what the student body thinks and their concerns for the University,” Taylor said.
She said her time as secretary in the Undergraduate Executive Branch exposed her to a lot of the work she will do as SBP, including how to engage with students. To address their concerns, Taylor said she is planning on holding regular meetings with student organizations in an effort to encourage conversation.
This year, Taylor and Smith co-founded the Black Pre-Law Association, a student organization that aims to support Black aspiring legal professionals throughout their academic careers. Smith said Taylor’s leadership in BPLA demonstrates her willingness to tackle important issues head-on.
