Leading with Purpose: ETAMU’s Estefania Olivas Gearing Up for Second Term as Student Body President

The senior SGA president hopes to continue broadening the reach of student government at the university.

The role of the Student Government Association (SGA) president at East Texas A&M University can be daunting. Yet, current President Estefania Olivas is taking it all in stride as she enters her second term in the 2025-26 academic year.

The senior accounting major from Dallas was reelected in March, becoming the second consecutive two-term SGA president, and the first since the university became East Texas A&M. She feels a calling to lead and guide others, having previously served as class president in middle and high school.

“I have a passion for advocating for student voices and making sure they are heard by university administration,” Olivas said. “At the end of the day, there is no university without students. So, dialogue between students and the administration is extremely important.”

Defining her platform

During her first term as president, Olivas lists her biggest wins as campaigning against parking fee increases and increasing the visibility and size of SGA on campus. Currently, the association posts three executives and 27 senators. Each academic college at East Texas A&M has at least one representative and several “at-large” senators who are representing the student body as a whole.

Continuing to her next term, one of Olivas' biggest goals is to campaign for open educational resources (OER), which usually consist of low-cost or even free textbooks and materials open for any faculty to use for their courses.

“We have already created a committee within SGA to help educate both students and even faculty on what open resources are available,” Olivas said. “We also help students find courses that use OER in their curriculum.”

The role of a leader

Overall, Olivas says that the main goal for any SGA president should be to leave the organization–and the university–better than when they found it, and accomplishing this involves teamwork.

“To me, a great leader is also a great follower,” Olivas said. “I couldn't do anything without our senators in SGA. Their expertise and our ability to work together let us do great things.”

Olivas, a first-generation student, plans to work up the corporate ladder following graduation, but she has set her sights on her ultimate dream.

“My dream is to one day become the president of a university,” Olivas said.

Learn more about SGA at East Texas A&M.

Featured photo: Olivas is the first SGA president in the East Texas A&M Era | Photo by East Texas A&M Marketing and Communications