Representative-At-Large Candidates

Alexander Zyles he/him/his

Alexander Zyles is currently a rising senior at CU double majoring in economics and international affairs. He is also minoring in French. In his free time, he mostly likes to read, listen to music, scroll on Tiktok, and drink boba milk tea. He has already served during both the 95th and 98th sessions on the CUSG legislative council and is running again this year to continue his mission of representation for all students on campus. He has been involved with other student organizations like the Bold, the CUI, and Asian Unity, and plays the cello for the campus orchestra. His main goal for his candidacy is to create new ways of increasing student involvement and helping students establish their voice here at CU Boulder!

Keenan Powell he/they

My name is Keenan Powell, and I use he/they pronouns. I’m majoring in both mathematics and music composition. Because I am studying in the smallest college on campus, the College of Music, and the largest college on campus, Arts and Sciences, I am in a unique position to represent the CU campus as a whole. There has not been a Representative-at-Large from the College of Music in quite a long time, let alone a dual degree student!
Many people in the College of Music and mathematics department feel that Student Government isn’t for them. It is! I will amplify the voices of underrepresented communities in CU such as BIPOC and the LGBTQ+ community. Together we can synthesize the needs of all people in CU.
CU Student Government has been struggling to be transparent with the student body. That needs to change. The relationships between the branches of Student Government need to be repaired as well. It’s quite difficult to make the people’s needs heard when CU Student Government is fighting with itself 24/7. I will move to repair relationships within CU Student Government by equalizing the powers of the branches.Vote synthesis for CU!

Kellen Nelson

Hi! I’m Kellen Nelson and I’m running to be your Representative-at-Large! I am currently a Freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences studying Political Science with an International Affairs minor. After CU, I hope to attend law school and pursue a career in International Policy.

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest in Seattle, Washington. I love all things outdoors, especially skiing, rafting, kayaking, and  backpacking. This summer, I'm hoping to summit Mt. Rainier with my dad and brother.  I'm a member of Boulder Freeride and the Backcountry Squatters. I love everything about Colorado so far and am excited to experience more adventures with all the people I am meeting!

I have 5 years of elected student government experience. I was the ASB president at my high school in Seattle, and I am excited for this new role representing so many perspectives on CU’s campus.  As an out-of-state Freshman, it has been really difficult to make connections with new people and clubs around campus. There are so many things to choose from that it can be overwhelming. As a representative, I will focus on communication within on-campus groups and increasing interconnectedness. I will be a representative that focuses on communication and transparency from your student government.  I want to make it clear how money and time is spent to make your lives better here at CU. Being new to student government, I will bring a new viewpoint into the Representative Council. 

Boulder is known for the adventure, the rigor, and the fun, all of which I will bring to CUSG as your Representative-at-Large! Thank you!

Weston Lilley

Hi, my name is Weston Lilley and I’m running to be your Representative at Large for CU Student Government! Born and raised here in the beautiful state of Colorado I got interested and involved in student government in high school and thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the community involvement, bringing out school pride, celebrating major occasions, and fundraising for charities and groups voted on by peers. Now in my first year as an undergraduate here at The University of Colorado Boulder, I really wanna bring change, improve our community, and make a difference by making CU better. I plan on achieving my goal by engaging all aspects of the student body and student voice, addressing pressing issues and problems going on throughout our campus life and college experience, and lastly advocating for comfortability.
By engaging the student body and student voice I hope to lead change as a community to better our school rather than just myself. As a freshman, I know how hard it can be to speak up about solutions to problems or just speak up in general, and through this position, I hope to be someone that first-year students and the entire student community can go to. I think teachers and faculty alike will agree that the students make and contribute to what a campus atmosphere looks and feels like. And I hope to try and involve everyone and make our voices heard to see the change we want.
Around the world, you will see that no college campus is perfect and each one has their flaws and problems. Throughout recent years CU has had issues with sexual assault, rape, and campus safety problems. Throughout my role, I hope to empower the victims who have been affected by these traumatizing events and be someone that they can comfortably talk things through without judgment about anything. I also hope to improve campus safety by strengthening police longevity and strengthening mental health resources for all.

Last but certainly not least CU Boulder is truly an amazing place, and feeling comfortable somewhere is one of the best feelings. Through my role, I hope to bring more social events and community engagements so that students feel comfortable with their peers. At times college can be stressful and being in an environment where you feel accepted and comfortable can greatly reduce the pressure and stress of college.