Meet Carson Brown, the 2023-24 SUUSA President

Posted: September 29, 2023 | Author: Abbie Cochrane | Read Time: 5 minutes

With the start of a new school year comes the beginning of an era, as a new student body president begins their term. Carson Brown has been named the 2023-2024 SUUSA president. Having been previously engaged in multiple student organizations, Brown is ready to take on this role with ambitions to increase the opportunities for students at SUU.

A senior from Layton, Utah, Brown is double majoring in philosophy and Spanish, with a minor in legal studies.

Before being elected Student Body President, Brown was president of the Philosophy Club, an Associate Justice, and later Chief Justice in student government, while simultaneously working on the Leavitt Center’s Executive Council.

"When I checked out campus for the first time, the thing that stood out to me the most was how genuinely nice and open to new concepts everyone was,” said Brown. “I also visited the Leavitt Center and was super excited to see how civic engagement was a priority for students here. I just fell in love with SUU through student involvement and student government."

As SUUSA President, he also is passionate about student safety, connecting with students, working on collaborative projects, career readiness and undergraduate research. Along with his position in the Student Involvement and Leadership (STIL) office, Brown works in the SPARC Office on campus where one of his responsibilities is working with students who want to perform undergraduate research–something that’s relatively unheard of in academia.

"These are undergrad students who get published, who conduct research and collaborate with professors and ph.D. students across the nation," said Brown. "It’s so exciting to be able to see and help students move in their chosen direction as they see their dreams carried out from start to finish,"

With his impressive list of past and current positions added to his resume, Brown also counts his perseverance in promoting and protecting student rights as one of his major accomplishments–and has already made headway in ensuring a safer and more just future for SUU students. 

"I am so excited to be here; in student government and just at SUU in general," he added. "Student government is a place where students' voices can be heard and listened to. And it’s not just students in the STIL office who make change–it’s any student."

With the student body backing him in his vision, Brown has plans to lead SUU to a brighter, successful future for every T-Bird.

"There is definitely the space and possibility of a disconnect between student government and the students themselves, which is something I don’t want to happen,” said Brown “I am here because of the student body, and I think that personal connection is one of the best ways I can contribute to their individual and unified success."

To Brown, being SUUSA President is about an unspoken trust between the leader and the student body.

"A lot of people voted for me, and I’m so grateful for that and the trust I have gained with the student body. However, I think that trust only carries a person so far–it’s action that proves where you stand and who you stand with. I have the nerve to say ‘Hey, you can trust me,’ and I’ve already been able to step up and do the job–already, progress has been made. In summary, being SUUSA President means having the trust to do the job right, and I’m so excited to be doing the job."

With graduation on the horizon, Brown is giving his all to set the precedent for future generations of T-Bird leaders and set them on an exponentially increasing path of success.

"I don’t really like thinking about graduating because I am excited to be here; at SUU and in student government," he said. "I want to leave behind a legacy of the power of student voice. Establishing a legacy that shows that students can create change is, I think, the most poignant thing I want to leave behind, starting right now. Anything can change, and anyone can make a change if they think about it hard enough."

Following graduation, Brown plans to take a gap year and then go to law school. He is very excited to pursue another great adventure. He is open to the possibility of any law school but would love to experience the rich Constitutional history back East, where history is right beneath his feet, and continuing to be made every day.

To current and incoming students, Brown offers this advice:

"You’ve probably heard this a lot, but it remains true–get involved, but not at the expense of your studies. Even if it’s something that you’re only slightly interested in, give it a try. Get involved as soon as you can, and it really doesn’t matter what you get involved with, as long as it makes you feel like you’re a part of something that matters to you."

Brown offers his thanks to Professor Kirk Fitzpatrick and Professor Gretchen Ellefson in the Philosophy department for introducing him to the power of philosophy and for helping him hone his critical thinking skills. Brown also would like to thank Heather Garcia, director of student involvement and leadership at the STIL Center, who has been a key mentor to Brown in his journey in student government. Finally, Brown offers gratitude to Mary Bennett, director of the Leavitt Center for showing him what he can do with his passion, and how to organize his passion into a plan.

Students can contact Carson Brown by visiting SUUSA’s website. Learn more about SUUSA and how to get involved with voting, student involvement and leadership and other opportunities.

Tags: College of Humanities and Social Sciences CurStu SUUSA