MOORHEAD – The student body elected Grace Halvorson and Daniel Davies to be the Student Government Association’s President and Vice President for the 2024-25 school year on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
After a week of spirited campaigning, the pair emerged victorious, capturing the attention and support of their peers through compelling visions for campus progress and inclusive leadership. As they prepare to take the reins, the Concordia community eagerly awaits the impact they are poised to make as we usher in a new era of student advocacy and collaboration.
Halvorson, SGA’s newest president-elect, holds an impressive academic and extracurricular repertoire that speaks volumes to her commitment to leadership. She’s a double major in political science and philosophy, with minors in social activism and English.
Beyond the classroom, Halvorson has left an indelible mark on campus life, serving as a captain of the Mock Trial team, and leveraging her legal awareness through internships at the U.S. Senate and a local law firm. She also serves as the Campus Ministry Commissioner, an orientation leader, president of Campus Democrats, a member of the homecoming committee and the pre-law society. Along with these, she volunteers as a crisis line advocate at the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center.
Among Halvorson’s passions is community engagement. She enjoys attending on-campus and off-campus events, guest lectures, service projects, concerts and civic engagement opportunities, Halvorson said.
“Our lives are more meaningful and impactful when we are deeply involved in things we care about, especially when we’re involved alongside other people,” Halvorson said.
Post-graduation from Concordia, Halvorson intends to pursue a joint degree, a Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.), hoping to have a career in impact litigation or policy development, she said.
Mentorship is also one of Halvorson’s priorities, as she envisions a campus community where mentorship thrives as a cornerstone for student success and development. In their campaign, the pair mentioned a “young alumni mentorship program,” which would connect current Concordia students with alumni in their mid-20s to early-30s who can offer guidance, insights, and encouragement to students as they navigate the transition to post-graduate life, Halvorson said.
Halvorson noted that even a bi-monthly meeting with a mentor can impact the trajectory of a student’s life.
“I first became interested in a dual J.D./M.P.P. after a 20-minute conversation with a Concordia alumni,” Halvorson said. “This will also keep recent graduates connected to Concordia, which keeps the Concordia network vibrant and engaged.”
Davies, the newly elected Vice President, is a junior with a major in business management and a minor in political science. He brings a wealth of experiences and a commitment to public service and wellness to his new role. In the future, he plans to continue to work in the public sector.
With an impressive resume that includes internships for the City of Moorhead, the U.S. Senate and a local law firm, Davies has already immersed himself in the intricacies of governance and legal affairs. On campus, Davies is a member of the mock trial team and a cellist for the Concordia Orchestra.
Holistic wellness is one of Davies’ biggest passions, and he hopes to expand people’s ability to pursue it. As Vice President of SGA, he wants to expand access to wellness on Concordia’s campus by allowing students to have access to food at later times, improving the fitness balcony and working with the Center for Holistic Health to allow students to be in positions to succeed, he said.
“Wellness looks different for everyone, and by connecting with students across campus Grace and I plan to continue making wellness accessible to all,” Davies said.
The pair’s decision to run together was not taken lightly. Drawing from their shared experiences working together in mock trial, they recognized the strength of their collaboration and their shared passion for campus improvement.
They both harbored doubts, considering the common narrative of SGA administrations starting with grand ambitions but achieving little.
“We wanted to be confident that if we were to be in the roles, we would be able to follow through on our commitments,” Halvorson said.
Their campaign was unconventional, as both students are spending the spring semester in Washington, D.C., interning in the U.S. Senate. Because of this, they relied heavily on remote communication and the support of their on-campus friends to drive their campaign forward.
“We couldn’t have done it without our network of friends across campus who shared our Instagram posts, talked to their classmates and encouraged their friends to vote,” Halvorson said.
Sophomore Tony Berndt handled the pair’s on-campus campaign efforts, involving talking to students in-person, coordinating publicity and tabling on behalf of the campaign.
Berndt was inspired by Halvorson and Davies’ concrete and specific ideas for making change on campus, adding that they prioritized coming up with policy ideas that could be realistically implemented and beneficial to the entire student body, he said.
“I knew that with their combined experience, connections, and commitment to Cobbers,” Berndt said, “they would be a great choice for student government leadership.”
Jacob Schoenborn, a junior political science and global studies student also studying in Washington D.C. this semester, also helped with Halvorson and Davies campaign.
“I knew how passionate and experienced both Grace and Daniel are when it comes to helping Cobbers, and I was just happy to help in anyway while they campaigned off campus,” Schoenborn said.
Moving forward, Halvorson and Davies would like to encourage students to apply for roles in SGA.
“If you’re ready to hit the ground running with us to make tangible changes on campus that improve the day-to-day lives of Cobbers, we’d love to have you on the team,” Halvorson said. “Feel free to reach out with questions, concerns, or ideas! We can’t wait to connect with you.”
