Tremendous pressure comes with being the new president of FUSA here at Fairfield University, but just add to that the stigma of being the first female president since the initial class to include women was admitted 32 year ago.
One person here on the campus is prepared to take on this responsibility. Karen Donoghue has been involved with FUSA for the past three years, and being named president in her final year here at Fairfield is the highest ambition she could have fulfilled. “There was one more step,” she said.
Donoghue, who was class president at her high school in Massachusetts, joined FUSA as a freshman to become involved with leadership. “FUSA opened the doors to every other aspect on campus,” she said. She is now involved in Campus Ministry as a lector and the Student Alumni Association, which she and friend Jordan Schibler proudly created. Donoghue has also participated in mission volunteer work.
During her freshman and sophomore years, she was appointed class counsel, and junior year, she was elected vice president of the class of 2003.
The fact that no woman has ever been president of the Student Association here at Fairfield helped to influence Donoghue to run because she knew that if she won, it would represent change. Despite having its first female Student Association president, Fairfield is the last Jesuit college in the country to have acquired a woman president.
As president, Donoghue’s key objective is to keep a constant line of communication open between various groups and organizations. “My main duty is to listen to FUSA, the student body, administrators and the community; to listen, to communicate, to empower,” Donoghue said.
Some of her goals for this first semter include online voting for future elections, leadership training for FUSA, more power for the senate, more work for student rights, and to increase student involvement.
Another target is a new plan for open forums. Donoghue’s first one is planned for Tuesday, Oct. 22. Students will have a chance to ask questions about different aspects of FUSA projects and Donoghue herself will be there to answer any questions.
“Feel free to stop by,” she said. “The door is always open to talk about any issue.”
Becoming FUSA president has left Donoghue busier than ever. She is double majoring in management and communications. She does, however, receive a lot of help from the FUSA officers.
“The other officers in FUSA are becoming my best friends,” said Donoghue. “They are the best student leaders I could have ever worked with.”
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