Imagine if what students said represented all the opinions and thoughts of the student body at the University.
That is the role senior David Westmeyer has taken on both this year and last year as the undergraduate student ambassador and member of the Board of Trustees.
The position is a two-year term, where the student attends every Board of Trustees meeting and represents the student body in decisions and issues brought to the board.
It is also the student’s responsibility to stay on the pulse of what the peers think so he can represent them accurately.
Westmeyer decided to be on the Board of Trustees because of a friend who was on the board when he was a freshman.
“He gained so much from the position,” Westmeyer said.
The process to become a student trustee involves many steps. It starts through the Undergraduate Student Government, then the finalists go through interviews with student leaders and university administrators. The person who chooses the student is the governor of Ohio.
“Any of the finalists would have been good for the job,” Westmeyer said. “I was optimistic but I know any of us would do good job.”
Secretary to the Board of Trustees, Patrick Pauken, was one of the people who interviewed Westmeyer before his name was submitted as a finalist to the governor.
“One thing that really impressed me about David was his wealth of knowledge of higher education.” Pauken said. “And not just higher education at BGSU, but in general about the state of Ohio. He has wisdom beyond his years.”
Pauken said Westmeyer does a great job with his role because he is present at meetings and is always prepared to ask questions and make comments on behalf of students.
“He has an energy about him that is magnetic, not loud or in your face but an attraction that people will follow,” she said.
Westmeyer said he has learned a lot about being a leader from the Board of Trustees.
“Being exposed to a lot of people both in and off the board and seeing ways leaders work so I can see the way I want to work,” he said.
However, one of the things he has been very impressed with was how people can make a big impact or change while remaining humble.
“I aspire to be that,” he said. “Also being on the board, you learn that people will remember how you made them feel.”
David Denison, Westmeyer’s roommate and admissions counselor, was able to watch him grow as Westmeyer took on the position of student liaison.
“I got to see how he spoke with his peers and the staff,” he said. “He could connect with anyone and share experiences with them.”
One thing he saw Westmeyer struggle with early on was the stress of knowing he had to share the voice of his peers to the board.
“He was scared to disappoint his peers,” he said. “But he has grown. I’ve seen him become more accepting of the job and knowing he is doing his best.”
Denison said that he knew right off the bat when they met that Westmeyer was a natural leader.
“He is so full of life and a passion for trying new things,” Denison said. “He is so easy to be around.”
