Chelsea Frederick finds the people to be the most important aspect in the Student Government.

“I have not seen one senator walk out that I haven’t applauded,” said Frederick, student vice president for academic affairs. “They make me the person that I am.”

In May, Frederick will have served on the Student Senate for two and a half years. She became interested in student government in the fall of 2003 while serving as the Homecoming coordinator.

“I was around them in the office, so I got to hear everything that was going on,” Frederick said. “That’s what got me excited: hearing all that they do.”

Her position allows her to hear concerns of both the faculty and the students. Changes can be made to the proposal and then it is introduced to the faculty.

Frederick, a speech communication major, deals mostly with grade appeals and lately the advising policies.

“Jill David (the academic affairs chair) actually handles most of the communications,” Frederick said.

David is a political science major and works with Frederick on a regular basis. The two might even be caught at some of the same committee meetings.

“A lot of times she will be more informed than I am, and she’s not intimidated by the faculty members,” David said.

Frederick’s position includes serving on many committees and attending many meetings.

These committees include: the Committee on Academic Affairs, Faculty Senate, the Grade Appeals Committee, the Academic Advising Committee, the Academic Technology Advising Committee, the Student Technology Fee Committee and the Student/Faculty Relations Committee.

Along with her duties in Student Government, Frederick works a public relations internship with Panther Dining and works 30 hours a week at Brian’s Place in Mattoon as a manager.

“Everything I do is very detailed,” Frederick said. “I write out my plans for the next day in my planner.”

As Frederick enters her last six weeks of her duties, she has a lot to get done. Her main focus has been the grade appeal change. She has been working with a graduate student, faculty members and college deans to clear it up.

“It can just get sticky at times, and I want it to be easier for students,” Frederick said.

She intends to prepare a public relations campaign regarding the Electronic Writing Portfolio. This would involve why students do it and how professors evaluate them.

Frederick has been involved with the current advising legislation. This places the advising forms used by the Academic Advising at Ninth Street Hall online.

“She taught me the basics, even though everything can be so confusing,” David said.

Academic affairs committee member Jeff Melanson said Frederick works hard, is helpful when there are questions and is consistently on time.

Frederick looks to the federal government for her role models.

“I like Condoleeza Rice for the way she speaks and the way she presents herself,” Frederick said. “She created herself to be very powerful.”

In the time that Frederick has spent in the Student Government, she has seen herself change.

“I’ve realized I need to work more and that I am here to get my degree,” Frederick said. “I think I have become more driven.”

Frederick would advise that any student with an issue come to one of the members of the Student Government.

“If you want something changed, it’s a great place to bring it up,” Frederick said.