Outgoing Student Body President Amitoj Kaur reflects on her experience at Miami

AMANDA WANG

THE MIAMI STUDENT

Amitoj Kaur is widely known as Miami University’s Associated Student Government’s (ASG) outgoing Student Body President. But her time at Miami expands far past that.

Before becoming student body president, the political science and emerging technology in business and design (ETBD) double major was in ASG as a student trustee for two years. She was also a student employee at the Carruthers Commuter Resource Center on campus.

In high school, though, Kaur had planned on avoiding Miami entirely. Too many people from her high school chose the school, she said.

“I was touring schools out of state, comparing every school to Miami,” Kaur said. “Eventually, I took a step back and realized that Miami was the best place for me to be.”

Despite her initial hesitance, Kaur quickly got involved once she came to Miami. Throughout her time in ASG, Kaur impacted many who she worked with. One of these people is Eli Da- vies, a junior double major in political science and urban planning.

“I’d say that [Kaur] is a really welcoming and inviting person and has really done a lot to make us both as members of ASG feel welcome as well as just students in general,” Davies said.

Davies also mentioned how she utilized her best qualities to get things done at Miami.

“Her knowledge of the university and her ability to make connections with administrators, which comes from her personality, helped her get things done,” Davies said. “I know she worked with the senators last year to allow students to change their email address if they changed their name for a variety of reasons.”

She co-founded Women Of Kolour Excellence Group (W.O.K.E.) to transform an underground support group for women of color into an official student organization. She wanted to create a space for women of color to share their experiences at Miami, which is a predominantly white institution (PWI). She also joined the Advancing Women in Entrepreneurship club and is the owner of Love, You! Boutique.

Kaur chose to major in political science because of her interest in politics.

“I have always been a politics buff,” Kaur said. “I also believe that local politicians matter greatly.”

Kaur also chose to double major in ETBD because of her personal experience.

“I had worked in digital media for a local political campaign,” Kaur said. “I saw how social media plays a great role and affects how women in politics are perceived. My advisor recommended that I check [ETBD] out.”

After graduation, Kaur plans on working at J.P. Morgan for the Chase Leadership Development Program.

Looking back, the best advice Kaur could give her first-year self is that embarrassment is a choice.

“There were hundreds of opportunities where I was scared of what other people would think of me,” Kaur said. “My embarrassment held me back from putting myself out there.” wanga31@miamioh.edu