Alissa Davis struggled for words after the election results were announced, reflecting the emotion of the moment, the weight of the role and the trust placed in her by her peers.
“I can’t describe what it means to be reelected to support the student body and advocate for them,” Davis said.
Davis, the current vice president, defeated Mark Hysell after a hard-fought campaign that included a debate-style format hosted by WMUL. She won the student body presidency alongside Jimmy John Jacob as vice president. The election took place April 1-2, with their ticket earning more than 77% of the vote.
Winners were revealed April 2 at 5 p.m. inside the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center in front of a crowd that included university officials, SGA members and students. Marshall University President Brad D. Smith was also in attendance and offered congratulations to the newly elected president and vice president.
As the results were read, Jacob said the magnitude of the win began to sink in.
“The fact that students believe in us to do this for them is huge,” Jacob said. “It sends chills down your spine, and I know this is something I’ll never forget.”
Davis said connecting directly with students during the campaign played a key role in the outcome, allowing her to better understand student concerns and priorities.
“We were fortunate to speak to a lot of students … and communicate our ideas,” she said.
Jacob also credited the campaign team and supporters who helped organize outreach efforts throughout the election process.
“The team we built around us was pivotal in what we were able to do. When you build yourself a great team around you, it just makes everything a lot easier and a lot better,” he said.
Davis echoed that sentiment, praising the accessibility and transparency of their inner circle.
“They were the type of people that you could come to 24 hours a day,” Davis said. “They helped make sure everything we wanted to advocate for was being transparently shared with the student body.”
Davis specifically credited campaign managers Ella Bumgardner and Anna Holstein as being integral to the campaign’s success.
Beyond the presidential race, Marshall students elected a full slate of senators to represent both their individual colleges and the student body at large.
Several colleges elected multiple representatives. The College of Liberal Arts will send seven senators to the SGA senate, the largest contingent, including Annabella Walls, Gretchen Ude, Sydney Barbour, Bethany Hinkle, Taylor Mandell, Alissa Davis and Christian Baldwin. The Lewis College of Business will have five representatives: Alex Gratchev, Hunter Knisley, Abigail Tinney, Chaz Tilka and Myrna Hamilton.
Other elected senators include Bailey Dore, Landon Mefford and Jimmy John Jacob for the College of Arts and Media; Lacie Brenner, Vinu Chandrasekar, Sophia D’Eramo and Maha Albaghdadi for the College of Science; and Ashton Prince, Kyndall Perry, Victoria Plunkard and Kallee Ellis for the College of Health Professions.
Joshua Copley and Emma Sutherland were elected in the College of Education and Professional Development while Gwendolyn Cox and JD Ritchie claimed seats in the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences. David Haynes and Caleb Ferguson will represent the Honors College, and Logan Nixon was elected to represent the School of Pharmacy.
In addition, 11 students will serve as at-large senators, representing the entire student body: Rory Watts, Anthony Doria, Kristopher Baldridge, Haven Tomblin, Casey Hayhurst, Samantha Crook, Lawrence Tanner Westfall, Audrey Dotson, Miranda Napier, Cora Gilmore and Trey McGougan.
Students also voted on a proposed Student Government Constitution, which passed with 81.65% approval, signaling broad support for updates to the organization’s governing structure.
Looking ahead, Davis said her administration plans to maintain a visible presence on campus while working with university leadership to address student needs.
“There are a lot of conversations that need to happen with campus partners, but students can expect to see a constant presence from us,” Davis said.
Jacob said the experience of campaigning and building relationships across campus stood out as one of the most meaningful parts of the process.
“The people we met along the way … Those are memories you’re going to look back on,” Jacob said.
David Lozano can be contacted at [email protected].
Editor’s note: Jimmy John Jacob is a student reporter in JMC 301, a required course for journalism majors.
