Vote Melissa Payette for CSU President

My name is Bianca Bertoia and I am the President of the John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition (JMUCC). JMUCC is not only the largest international undergraduate case competitions in the world, but also one of the most prestigious. As JMUCC hosts students from 24 of the best universities around the world, I’ve been lucky enough to meet some of the world’s most talented students and our future business leaders. There is no question in my mind that Melissa Payette, Experience CSU’s Presidential Candidate, is one such student.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Melissa in two separate environments. I first met her when working at Chapters Pointe-Claire. Melissa had already been working there for a year when I started, and she was the most welcoming person on staff. Her passion for books and knowledge and her helpful disposition stood out immediately.

In Melissa’s role as the President of CASA Cares, CASA’s non-profit wing, I’ve seen the extent of her compassion and her greatness as a leader. She manages a team of almost 20 executives and does it flawlessly. The respect that Melissa’s team has for her is clear, and the events they execute are successful in both raising money for charity and uniting students from all faculties.

This year, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Melissa on CASA’s Board of Directors as well as on CASA’s Special Projects Committee. In both circumstances, Melissa has been an amazing person to work with. She is unafraid to voice her opinions, but always in a way that is respectful of others. Oftentimes at BOD, she will step in and mediate between two opposing parties to help them better understand one another. Mel is a problem solver who is always full of great ideas and suggestions.

On CASA’s board of directors, I’ve also gotten to work with Scott Carr and Maylen Cytryn, Experience CSU’s VP Finance and VP Clubs & Internal candidates respectively. I’m amazed by Scott’s passion for policy, constitutional knowledge and number-crunching abilities on a daily basis. As a newcomer to the board, Maylen has been an excellent chairperson who’s demonstrated how quickly she can master unfamiliar surroundings. I am confident that Melissa has pulled together a unified team of dedicated students to form the Experience CSU team.

There is no doubt in my mind that Melissa Payette is the right candidate to lead the CSU forward. She is both a powerful and compassionate leader and the perfect person to bridge the gap between faculties. Melissa will stand up for students’ rights and deliver what they believe in. Concordia students would be lucky to have her lead their Union forward.