From on-campus jobs, to clubs and teams, many students play a variety of roles at Wichita State.  

With the 69th session of the Student Government Association inaugurated, it’s time to say goodbye to the highest student representatives, former President Jia Wen Wang and Vice President Amy Nguyen.

“It hasn’t hit me yet that I’m graduating,” Wang said. “I think it’ll hit me once I actually am on the stage. As I’ve been reflecting on my years here, just in and out of SGA, I’ve been so grateful for this institution and the opportunities that they’ve had to offer. I originally was not going to attend this institution. I was going to attend some other school in another state.”

Nguyen had the same to say about the looming reality of graduation.

“I think it’ll hit me probably in May,” Nguyen said. “When things start to really, really slow down. I think for me, these past four years have been incredible, and I probably wouldn’t have changed a single thing about it.”

Work-life balance

Maintaining your life as a student while serving the campus can be one of the toughest parts of being the representative of the entire student body.

“I was really intentional about it because I wanted to make sure that I didn’t put myself in a situation where I might burn out,” Wang said. “Because ultimately, we took an oath to serve all 18,000-plus students here on campus. So I didn’t want to put myself in a situation where I would no longer be able to serve them.”

The calendar became Wang’s saving grace in her life, creating schedules with intentionality.

“I was really intentional about the times that I was reading emails,” Wang said “and making sure that I was blocking out times to still be a student — to still remain involved in some of these other community pieces that I was involved in, while also ensuring that I also blocked out time to get work done. My calendar was ultimately my lifesaver, because I planned every single minute of every single day on that.”

Balancing life for Nguyen also became about the little moments during the “long and hectic” days.

“Finding that work-life balance is being able to find the small moments filled with joy and gratitude,” Nguyen said. “Even when we have really long days, like with student fees and things like that. When we have those little breaks and having those interactions with people and grabbing some food or a drink… I think those moments help me go on with the days.”

Outside the war room

While the pair didn’t come into college knowing each other, they have since become friends outside of SGA, when they can just be Amy and Jia Wen.

“We are friends outside of SGA,” Nguyen said. “A lot of our relationship was also built through our sorority (Sigma Psi Zeta) as well. But outside of it, we love to just eat together. (I) love going to Kansas City together, and I love her family. Shout out (to) Miss Peggy.”

In Wichita, the pair enjoys going to KPot, a Korean barbecue and hot pot restaurant.

“I have a fun fact,” Nguyen said. “(Wang) gets 10 orders of sliced pork belly, but that’s in one sitting.”

Nguyen steers more toward the seafood side of the menu, usually the mussels and clams. Wang said the two try to get their money’s worth at KPot between “ordering that many plates of pork belly and Amy ordering her seafood.”.

“We’re always the last one standing,” Nguyen said. 

To be remembered

Engineering senator Matthew Phan served on three sessions of SGA with the duo and spent plenty of time with them in and outside of SGA.

“Occasionally, maybe we’ll grab lunch, or we’ll grab dinner every once in a while,” Phan said. “Just to hang out a little bit as well. Getting to know them both outside of SGA has also been really great, and I’m proud to call both of them friends as well.”

Whether it was the late-night chats or just being in the SGA office together, Phan’s favorite memories revolved around seeing each other every day.

Guided by belonging, intentionality and persistence, Wang remarked that it was important for her to represent the underrepresented — not just as Asian women, everyone.

“I think we are the first ticket to run both as Asian women,” Wang said. “I think it’s such a powerful piece of representation. Students need to know that no matter what kind of background they’re from or what kind of representation is out there, that they can still show up in spaces, that they can still belong in these spaces, because for Amy and I, we didn’t have that representation going in.”

“The representation isn’t just about showing up as two Asian women, but also showing up as first-generation students, as students who are in two majorly different academic backgrounds (Wang majoring in biochemistry and Nguyen in business administration), but can still serve in a place such as student government,” Wang said. “It’s not really about what is expected of a person who may be going into a role, but more so who you are as an individual and what you can achieve.”