Shila Ductan, 2023

20-year-old Political Science major Shila Ductan took the inspiration to run for Boca Governor due to the Florida Atlantic University’s community with its revolving changes in order to make the school better for the students.

“We’re up and coming, and we’re changing things, and we’re trying to do things to grow as a university. And I know that me running for candidacy would help me be able to change that environment of FAU in order to help it grow into the direction of progressive,” says Ductan. 

Ductan hopes to devote her time in assisting underprivileged programs like CAPS and the Career Center that are present at FAU.

“A lot of students don’t know about the Career Center, and also don’t know about these programs that FAU provides,” Ductan says. 

As well as help with students’ graduation readiness. In order to be given the necessities and tools they need once they graduate

“Just really emphasizing on having a resume, having professional photos taken, having a clear description of what jobs you want to go into, and having cover letters.” 

Ductan says that even though there are a lot of career center fairs and social events on campus centered around students hoping to seek an internship, she believes that FAU doesn’t provide enough resources for students once they graduate. 

“A lot of students graduate with majors that they don’t use, and we should be able to use our degrees to get a job, to be able to look back and say, FAU helped me do that,” says Ductan. 

Ductan says that the biggest challenge she faced while trying to run for candidacy, was that she got denied before she was even approved to run for Boca Governor due to her GPA.

“I don’t have a terrible GPA, but I don’t have the GPA that they would like, but it’s also hard to be a student leader and also a student when sometimes being a student is not prioritized, and not being looked at.”

Ductan hopes that with being active in the FAU community and being able to build the students’ trust, she believes that students will have her vote. 

“I am willing to sit down and go to events and be there for every student, not just students of color, or other students who may benefit me,” Ductan says.

With FAU being one of the most diverse universities, Ductan strives to help all students with many cultural backgrounds to be seen and heard with student government at FAU campus. 

“We’re not just Black and White, we’re Hispanic, we’re Asian, we’re Indian, we have so many different cultures. And I’m willing to expand and help those underprivileged students as well, who are not in student government, who don’t know that student government is a place for them to be at,” she says.

Ductan believes that with her experience in holding E-board positions in student organizations and being able to work directly with Deanna Mancuso as Chief of Staff, is what makes her stand out and be a much stronger candidate for Boca Governor. 

“I have been the President of GLAM since 2021 to 2023, so I know how to run meetings. I am the treasurer for Pulse, and I have executed two successful initiatives and one more in March,” says Ductan. 

The last Black woman to hold the Boca Governor was Rhoda Hoods, who served 2021-22, And Der’Resha Bastien who served 2017-18. Like Hoods and Der’Resha, Ductan is the only Black woman candidate for Boca Governor.

“I feel great win or lose, because at the end of the day I know I put in the work, and it’s going to be shown in everything I do despite how others may perceive me. Win or lose I’m making a difference of who may be the next governor, and who may want to get inspired by me and my story,” she says.

Voting for Student Governor is available now on Owl Central starting February 21st until February 22nd at 11:59 PM.