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Thinking Big

Meet the Class of 2020’s student organization leaders

Shannon Cason
Shannon Cason (Col ’20)

University Judiciary Committee Chair:
Shannon Cason (Col ’20)

Making the Judiciary Committee more preventive and less reactive is a goal for Cason, of Ellicott City, Maryland. To do that, she’ll work on efforts to encourage students to think more about “how they manage stress, their drinking habits and how that manifests outward,” says Cason, who is studying cognitive science and Spanish on a pre-med track.


Lillie Lyon
Lillie Lyon (Col ’20)

Honor Committee Chair:
Lillie Lyon (Col ’20)

Lyon’s aims include examining and updating Honor’s various efforts to ensure that “investigative procedures are as fair as possible, our education initiatives effectively reach everyone at the University and our outreach efforts are widespread and productive,” says the political philosophy, policy and law major from Lakeville, Minnesota.


Ellie Brasacchio
Ellie Brasacchio (Col ’20)

Student Council President:
Ellie Brasacchio (Col ’20)

Brasacchio, a Manassas, Virginia, native, won her seat in a landslide, earning 89 percent of the University-wide vote. The government major is eager to create lasting change, she says. “I want to lead a Student Council that is a fierce advocate for all students, especially first-generation and low-income students.”


Gracie Kreth
Gracie Kreth (Col ’20)

Cavalier Daily Editor-in-Chief:
Gracie Kreth (Col ’20)

An English and media studies major, Kreth’s focus is digital storytelling through podcasts, interactive graphics, videos and an online magazine. “We are also focusing on growing the newspaper’s coverage to reflect the entire UVA community across our population of students of color, women, international students and the LGBTQ community,” the Little Rock, Arkansas, native says.


Derrick Wang
Derrick Wang (Col ’20) Dan Addison

Board of Visitors Student Member:
Derrick Wang (Col ’20)

Wang, an economics and mathematics major, is eager to serve as a bridge between the student body and Board of Visitors, helping to shape the strategic vision for the University. “In particular, I want to be an advocate for voices that are currently underrepresented or underserved,” says the Moseley, Virginia, native.


Nick Smith
Nick Smith (Engr ’20)

Co-Chair of Resident Staff Program:
Nick Smith (Engr ’20)

The resident experience will be a focus for Smith, a systems engineering major with an engineering business minor. “We want to empower senior residents to be the student leaders on Grounds that they are and ensure that our collective team provides the best experience for our residents,” says Smith, who is from Dumfries, Virginia.


Adriana Allen
Adriana Allen (Col ’20)

Co-Chair of Resident Staff Program:
Adriana Allen (Col ’20)

Allen, a Spanish and linguistics major and leadership and public policy minor from Newport News, Virginia, will examine the unique experiences inside UVA’s residential colleges and upper-class housing. With a deeper understanding, she says, “we can have better-equipped RAs and a greater impact on residents.”