Photo: Zaria Irving ’25 (right) and Yolanda Pauly ’25, who won the 2024 SGA Presidential
The Student Government Association (SGA) announced on April 13 that Zaria Irving ’25 and Yolanda Pauly ’25 will serve as the 2024-2025 SGA President and Vice President, officially ending one of the most competitive races for SGA presidency in recent St. Olaf history.
The contested nature of the election led to a significant uptake in voter turnout, with total ballots cast rising from 396 in the 2024 spring election to 1216 this election — an increase of over 300 percent.
Irving has served in the Student Government Association for the past three years, and has been involved with the President’s Leadership Team, the Public Safety Advisory Committee, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusions, and the Student Life Committee.
Pauly, who has also been involved in campus leadership, said in a previous interview with the Olaf Messenger that their established connections with the administration will help implement their campaign promises.
Some notable points of their campaign include their emphasis on increased inclusivity and community building through collaborative spaces.
“We’re going to create a space where everyone on campus can have fun and enjoy themselves,” said Irving in an interview with the Olaf Messenger.
Alongside Irving and Pauly, new secretaries were elected. All ran uncontested, with the exception of Secretary for Equity and Inclusion and Secretary of Academic Affairs. The secretary election results are as follows:
Secretary for Equity and Inclusion: Kaya Clemons ’26
Secretary of Academic Affairs: Mohamed Radalla ’25
Secretary of Student Affairs: Donovan Roddy ’25
Secretary of Local Impact: Elijah Sonntag ’25
Secretary of Global Impact: Luanga Kasanga ’25
Secretary of Involvement: Maggie Walsh ’26
For more information about these candidates, refer to The Olaf Messenger’s Voter Guide: https://www.theolafmessenger.com/2024/2024-2025-sga-voter-guide/.
Correction: The print version of the article incorrectly states that Zaria Irving ’25 and Yolanda Pauly ’25 will serve in the 2023-2024 school year. The pair will serve in the 2024-2025 school year.
