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 Ģ������ƵStories      April 29, 2025

By Cam Adams

Ģ������Ƶ junior Grady Jones was probably a bit more nervous than his peers when he was taking a geography quiz back in February.

But not just because of the quiz. He was also waiting on election results.

“When I turned my quiz in at like 12:15 (p.m.), my professor was like, ‘How do you think you did?’ and I had already immediately went to Karina (Rodriguez)'s text messages, and I went 'Yes!’” Jones said. “My professor thought I thought I did good.”

The business administration and law major was ecstatic to learn that he and Rodriguez were elected as WCU’s next student body president and vice president respectively. The two took office following their inauguration on April 14.

Jones, a Summerfield native, and Rodriguez, a Clemson, South Carolina native, have been involved in the Student Government Association at varying levels, and both do quite a lot more on campus.

Rodriguez is a Chancellor’s ambassador, a Catamount wellness ambassador, a member of the freshman leadership team for Reformed University Fellowship, the social events coordinator for Ratio Christi and the head throwing coach for the Smoky Mountain Middle School track team.

Jones is the social chair for the Kappa Sigma fraternity and works as a resident assistant. He’s also involved in several organizations, including the Catamount Philanthropy Council, the Club Management Association of America and the Circles of Jackson County.

“I'm in a lot,” Jones said. “I enjoy different experiences. I enjoy getting the opportunity to connect with different people and experience different things because my mindset coming to college was now is the time to figure out what you want to do, what you like doing.”

But what the two didn’t register was how much influence they had at Ģ������Ƶwhen election time rolled around.

“I didn't realize how many people I had positively impacted the way they had positively impacted me because Western has been such a welcoming community for me in the communities that I found here,” Jones said.

“It was just cool to see how many people it reached. Even though I have had a lot of different orgs that we're both a part of and have interacted with a lot of people, it's really easy to forget your impact.”

With the Jones-Rodriguez administration underway, one big thing the two juniors are hoping to focus on is increasing wellness programs for students. Rodriguez and Jones also want to see different student groups supporting each other.

“We just want to see students supporting students because I think that when you feel supported and you feel wanted and you feel like you belong, you want to stay at Western,” Rodriguez said.

“I think that's what makes Western so great is we're a big enough school that you can meet someone new every day, but small enough that you see your friends around campus… That belongingness has made me feel at home.”

While their senior year will be filled with the chaos that comes with being president and vice president, it’ll also be packed with applications and interviews like every other senior.

Jones plans to go to graduate school for international relations and diplomacy and eventually to attend law school. Rodriguez hopes to work in an elementary school as a kindergarten or first-grade teacher.

Their work with SGA won’t just benefit them while they’re still in Cullowhee, but beyond Ģ������Ƶas well.

“I think with SGA, it has shown me all the different ways that I can help serve, whether that be my students, whether that be my peers and my team that I'll be working with or whether that be admin and stuff,” Rodriguez said.

“It's helped me be more creative and really take time to sit down and listen to the needs and be more observant of what people around me need.”