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On paper, Syracuse University’s incoming Student Government Association President Emily Castillo-Melean and Executive Vice President Max Lachut may not seem like they have a lot in common.

They study subjects in completely different areas, come from opposite sides of the country, participate in vastly different extracurriculars, and are about a foot apart in height.

But, after winning an uncontested election for SGA’s 70th assembly, the two said they’re prepared to lead SGA amid a time of change with new campus leadership and SGA policies.

They have one message for the campus community — they’re here to serve students.

“We are not here for ourselves,” Lachut said. “Everything we’re doing, everything we’re advocating for, it’s for students, by students.”

For Castillo-Melean, making students feel welcome on campus regardless of their background is a key part of her mission as president. As the first person in her family to attend a private university, she said there’s a lot she’s had to learn on her own.

While Castillo-Melean has support from her Posse Foundation scholarship and mentors, she said learning how to navigate the college application process on her own while supporting a family member through medical issues was difficult to balance — but it helped shape her as a leader on campus.

“You never know what someone’s going through,” Castillo-Melean said. “That extra layer of empathy is something that I bring into my leadership, and with the students on campus.”

When Castillo-Melean arrived at SU from her hometown of Miami, she quickly began joining campus organizations. As a highly involved student in high school, she knew she wanted to take full advantage of her time at SU, joining SGA and the pre-law and government professional fraternity, Kappa Alpha Pi.

“She brings so much enthusiasm and passion to everything that she does,” said Jonathan Hoster, Castillo-Melean’s Posse mentor. “And that is infectious.”

Her leadership skills shine in her extracurriculars and her classes. In her second semester, she took on a teaching assistant role for her policy studies class, where she developed skills that would later help her in SGA.

“She’s often direct and will challenge someone’s idea or position and do it while smiling,” policy studies professor Richard Barton said. “She does a great job at disagreeing with people while sending the signal that this isn’t a personal thing.”

Barton said he was impressed by Castillo-Melean’s ability to engage in challenging conversations with her peers. He thinks her “tremendous integrity” and commitment to the public good will make her an excellent student body president.

To balance all of her roles on campus, Castillo-Melean said she keeps three calendars to track her responsibilities and consumes a healthy amount of coffee to keep her going. Next semester, she plans to bring her espresso machine into her office.

Lachut, who admitted he never drinks caffeine, also juggles a handful of roles at SU.

Some of his days start as early as 6 a.m. when he gets ready for his shift as a research assistant at Upstate Medical University. When he’s not at the hospital or the SGA office, he’s attending classes for one of his three majors: biotechnology, biochemistry and neuroscience.

As seen in Lachut’s seven-line email signature, he’s also a Renée Crown University Honors Program student, works as a men’s basketball team manager, a barback at Orange Crate and is a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

Castillo-Melean and Lachut said their range of on-campus involvement gives them the perspective they need to be able to bring fresh ideas to SGA.

As SGA members are typically humanities majors, Lachut said he’s excited to represent the university’s STEM students. This semester, he introduced a free EKG heart screening initiative for students, which detected 10 students with irregular EKGs who are receiving follow-up care.

During his freshman year, Lachut took the lead in organizing an SGA farmer’s market with over 30 vendors, which has become a regular SGA event.

As someone who grew up in Syracuse, Lachut said the two hope to get SGA more involved beyond campus through local volunteer work. Although she’s not a local, Castillo-Melean has also worked with different nonprofits in the Syracuse area, including La Casita Cultural Center, the Onondaga County Legislature and working as a college fellow for the New York State Democratic Party in 2024.

Beyond community service, Castillo-Melean and Lachut said they want to emphasize student engagement and plan routine in-person tabling in the Schine Student Center during the fall semester for students to voice their concerns.

Germán Nolivos, SGA’s current president, said the pair’s passion for serving their fellow students was evident from the moment he met them during their freshman year. Watching the two grow in SGA, he’s seen their determination, leadership and passion.

Nolivos acknowledged that their term might be challenging. But, he said, Castillo-Melean and Lachut’s knowledge of SGA and their “Type A” work styles make them the perfect candidates to take on these roles.

“If I have that trust in someone to go through this journey, it’s them,” he said.

Although the pair said changing university administration could be a challenge during their term, they’ve already begun connecting with university faculty and developing relationships with university administrators, like Acting Chancellor Mike Haynie.

“I’m excited to work with them,” Haynie said. “I appreciate their passion. There’s no doubt that they authentically care about the university and the university students.”

Haynie said he wants to build a strong relationship with the two. While they lead SGA, his door will always be open to them, he said. He hopes to have Lachut, a Syracuse local, attend summer meetings with him to share students’ perspectives.

Increasing transparency and communication with the student body is another goal for their term. As Castillo-Melean and Lachut prepare for the fall, they’re hiring a press secretary to act as a liaison between student media and SGA.

To ensure they stay committed to delivering their campaign promises, Castillo-Melean and Lachut said they plan to write all of their semester’s goals on their office’s whiteboard.

“Every time that we fulfill one of those promises, we’re going to erase it,” Lachut said. “By the end of our term next year, we’re going to have a blank board.”

Published on April 22, 2026 at 11:52 pm