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Student Government Elections

Text that states the declared winners of the elections

Thank you for participating in the 2023-2024 student elections!

A message from the USG Vice President declared winner:

“Thank you to everyone who supported the EmpowerUIC campaign this year! I am elated by the overwhelming support and am proud to confirm my re-election as the USG Vice President. I promise to serve you faithfully and work hard to advocate for all students. I am so thankful to be able to serve you one more time!” – Michael Fernandes

Official Election Results Heading link

The EPC ratifies the 2023-2024 student election results. The EPC verified that all pending complaints have been resolved. The EPC agreed that the declared winners of the this election are the students who have received the most votes.

Candidate Votes
Mohammed Haq 1340 (declared winner)
No Vote 706
Candidate Votes
Matthew Almendras 1317 (declared winner)
Nazra Shahnaz Zafar 586
No Vote 153
Candidate Votes
Jair Alvarez 538
Michael Fernandes 1345 (declared winner)
No Vote 173
Candidate Votes
Amena Lnu 274
Samuel Blin 525
Matthew Caballes 452
Kartikeya Dixit 326
Saide Flores 376
Lauren Hanna 565
Madaline Lopez 401
Selah Magruder 428
Ahmad Omar 282
Jiya Patel 511
Khushi Patel 484
Sabrina Zhang 503
No Vote 941
Candidate Votes
Asa Asad 749
No Vote 1307

Meet the Candidates! Heading link

Below are the listed candidates running for Student Member on the Board of Trustees (SMBOT), USG President, USG Vice President, USG Member on the House of Representatives and Undergraduate Student Senator.

  • Matthew Almendras
    • Hello Flames! I’m Matthew Almendras and I’m running for reelection for USG President with the eMpowerUIC slate. It’s been an honor to have served as your USG President this year. From implementing programs that help food-insecure students to ensuring students are equipped with the skills for success outside of college, we are here to make your experience better. With your support, we will continue to make UIC a better campus!
    • Party Slate – EmpowerUIC
  • Nazra Shahnaz Zafar
    • College marks an important transition in every UIC student’s life, no matter their age, race, financial background or housing status; each student deserves the opportunity to excel regardless of their circumstances. By running for Student Government President, I will address systemic issues, from how UIC students approach life post-college with better financial literacy and career preparedness, to how UIC currently provides students a comfortable space for them to truly excel.
    • Party Slate – SpeakUP UIC
  • Jair Alvarez
    • Higher education institutions like UIC provide students with material to graduate and search for career opportunities. However, the institution can improve on promoting and piloting programs that benefit students before graduation – for example, bridge programs and career readiness courses. As the Undergraduate Student Government Vice-President, I plan on working closely with students and administration to ensure we all receive proper higher education, career opportunities, and the ability to excel.
    • Party Slate – SpeakUp UIC
  • Michael Fernandes
    • It is my pleasure to run for re-election as Vice President of USG on the eMpowerUIC slate. As Vice President, I will continue to finalize our work on a full-week Fall break, adding mental health services to our student population such as 24/7 counseling, and bolstering student safety. With your support, I will help ensure our student population is healthy and prepared for personal and academic success.
    • Party Slate – EmpowerUIC
  • Mohammed Haq
    • Hey UIC Flames! As a proud member of the eMpowerUIC slate, I am seeking re-election for the position of Student Member of the Board of Trustees to continue advocating for affordable education, opportunities for our graduates, and a strong student voice in all decisions made by the system. With your support, I am committed to ensuring that the focus continues to remain on our system’s number one asset: Students!
    • Party Slate – EmpowerUIC
  • Syeda Amena
    • As a student representative, I will ensure that the dialogue between students, faculty and administration continues to be an integral part of every decision made by the university. In addition, I intend to encourage all the students  to become more fully engaged in their education and participate more actively in all university decisions. My main focus is to ensure that I listen actively to your voices, opinions and ideas and shed light to each one of your concerns, so we could hopefully do something about it.
  • Samuel Blin
    • As a long-standing member of the Undergraduate Student Government and a student leader across campus, it’s my mission to channel the resources afforded to USG to as many students, organizations, and departments across campus as we can. To accomplish this, we need to come to the table with collaboration in mind; my colleagues and I on the SpeakUp slate are ready to do just that.
    • Party Slate – SpeakUP UIC
  • Matthew Jay Caballes
    • As a Representative of Undergraduate Student Government, and current Deputy Treasurer, I plan to organize events to bring all UIC students together and to better campus life for all. I also plan to keep pushing for more seating around campus, a simple issue that I believe needs more attention.
  • Kartik Dixit
    • My name is Kartik and I am running to retain my position as a Representative in the House, where I will strive to implement a commuter orientation program to help commuters find the cheapest and most effective ways to commute, an anonymous grading policy to remove any bias that might negatively impact grading, a complaint/feedback program to help students voice their concerns, and programs to boost mental health resources.
  • Saide Flores
    • My name is Saide Flores and I am running for a spot on the USG House of Representatives! My priority is for more undergrad students to become aware of active initiatives by increasing student government communications and transparency. I also want to prioritize student input, mental health access, and uplifting campus resources. 
  • Lauren Hanna
    • I am seeking to re-run as a Representative of the Undergraduate Student Government because I want to continue advocating for students and creating ways for students to directly influence change to the UIC community. I want to continue addressing social justice issue of food insecurity on campus. If re-elected, I will be able to confine working on USG’s Meal Swipe Donation Program.
    • Party Slate – SpeakUp UIC
  • Madaline Lopez
    • I’m running for a seat in the Undergraduates Student Government House of Representatives. The goals I hope to present during my term are based on promoting student and campus safety, as well as mental wellness, and academic support. As a USG Representative, I hope to accomplish an effective means to properly voice the grievances of students and create better connections with campus housing, UIC police, and the mental wellness center.
    • Party Slate – EmpowerUIC
  • Selah Magruder
    • I will use my political science background, law knowledge, and diverse community involvement to the Legislative Affairs Committee. My knowledge and skills will aid in effective legislation analysis and advocacy. My unique perspective offers the ability to create inclusive guidelines to support all communities, making me a valuable asset.
    • Party Slate – SpeakUp UIC
  • Ahmad Omar
    • In addition to mainly advocating for student success in terms of finding efficient resources and accessibility to our students regarding their education and academic careers , I will also strongly advocate for student safety. The incident that occurred in Michigan this week should be a wake up call for everyone at USG. We must protect our students here and take every initiative in doing so.
  • Jiya Patel
    • I am running for the House of Representatives in order to advocate for mental health and access to education. I believe that we need to focus time and money towards providing students with more resources for mental health as well as increase their accessibility. As well, we need students to have an equal opportunity towards gaining an education, specifically in regards to the gap in transportation for commuter students.
    • Party Slate – SpeakUp UIC
  • Khushi Patel
    • I want to strengthen the bond and trust between CSI and student organizations. Hold CSI accountable to lack funding which many student organizations rely on. Student organizations use that funding often to hold events for UIC students. Often money and benefits are given back in various forms such as open events for students to get involved on campus. However, CSI is not recognizing the benefits that come with funding student organizations. 
    • Party Slate – SpeakUp UIC
  • Sabrina Zhang
    • Hello! My name is Brina and I am a first-year student running for student representative. I am an eager and passionate first-year student yearning for change in our campus’s mental health resources and outlook, as well as our students’ sexual health and wellbeing. I hope to achieve work in areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and overall student health and sentiment. I am always open to talk about issues!
    • Party Slate – SpeakUp UIC
  • Asa Asad

EPC Election Planning Committee

Student Election Documents Heading link

Here you can find the official student election timeline to stay up to date this election season. For students who would like to submit a referendum for the ballot, information can be found here.