Student Leaders Foster Community in a Challenging Year
Each year, the Soka Student Union (SSU), the undergraduate student body of Soka University of America, elects five students to the SSU Executive Council to represent them. And each year, the council—consisting of a president, vice president, attorney general, treasurer, and secretary—chose a theme to guide them.
For the 2020-21 academic year, the council decided on the theme: “We hear you. One campus, One mission—for Humanity.”
All three parts of the slogan have particular meaning to the student leaders. The first—we hear you—embodies the EC’s relationship to its fellow students and to each other, committed to hearing every student’s voice and facilitating more constructive discussions to better the community as a whole.
The second part of the theme—one campus, one mission—is particularly resonant this year. Although physically separated from each other, the student body is a community and committed to the same mission: “to foster a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life.”
The final phrase—for humanity—acknowledges the students’ global vision. “As aspiring global citizens, our passion goes beyond ourselves—beyond the walls of SUA,” SSU President Shunji Fueki said.
The EC builds on its mission through activities such as creating newsletters, coordinating, managing Student Leaders Assembly, reaching out to individual students, and representing undergraduate students at various campus initiatives. The student leaders are also taking a part in planning a hybrid semester in spring.
Meet the SSU Executive Council leadership:
Shunji Fueki ’21, President
Tokyo, Japan
Concentration: International Studies
“In the next 10 years, I want to become a lawyer with expertise in international trade law and East Asian legal systems.”
Marisha Thomas ’21, Vice President
Tampa, FL
Concentration: Social and Behavioral Sciences
“My future goal is to become a sex educator.”
Koichi Sakakibara ’21, Attorney General
Saitama, Japan
Concentration: Social and Behavioral Sciences
“I aspire to work in the public health field while embodying global citizenship and contributing towards health equity, well-being of individuals, and to the dignity of humanity.”
Moeka Ho ’23, Treasurer
Vancouver, Canada
Concentration: Social and Behavioral Sciences
“Someone once told me that I will not be a Soka student for four years but for a lifetime. I think they meant that as a Soka student, I carry the mission statement of Soka with me forever even after graduation. As a second-year, I’m still in search of how I can best bring out my potential and do the work of a global citizen, but my future goal is to help people live a happier life through utilizing my creativity and interest in education.”
Monet Shinohara ’21, Secretary
Paramus, NJ
Concentration: Social and Behavioral Sciences
“A few of my future goals include having a career in education and in entrepreneurship. I hope to travel and teach abroad, as well as be an entrepreneur for my own event planning or food industry business.”