KLAB Candidate Statements

Sydney Aslan

Hey everyone! My name is Sydney Aslan (she/her), and I’m a political science major with minors in public relations and environmental analysis and policy. I’ve been on KLAB since my freshman year and would love to represent Kilachand as a KLAB Co-Chair!

I really feel that KLAB is in such an important and wonderful position to imagine the future of Kilachand. In the past year I’ve been able to discuss the reimagining of Kilachand’s strategic guidelines and ways the Kilachand curriculum and experience can better help students. I’ve worked on several new events in the last year, such as the upperclassmen riverboat cruise in the fall and sports day in the spring that I would love to see continued into the future! We’ve also launched several new initiatives in the last year. One of these is Kilachand’s Toilet Paper Initiative, which provides free toilet paper and hand soap to Kilachand Hall residents. Another is the Kilachand merch that we launched this last fall with KHC sweatshirts!

However, although I’m incredibly proud of the work KLAB has done in the past couple years, I’m even more excited for what I hope to do on KLAB in the future. I’m really looking forward to helping the Haley House volunteering opportunities occur more regularly for co-curricular credit, and I’d love to see what other volunteering opportunities we could connect with in the Boston community. I feel like giving back to Boston and our greater community is certainly in-line with Kilachand’s mission and something we could do more of. Additionally, I would love to expand the Kilachand merch to include Kilachand PJ pants! :) Finally, I would love to have a Kilachand block party at the beginning of the school year. This could be something similar to the current welcome-back BBQ but could take place outside, possibly in the back alleyway, and could have food, music, carnival games, etc.

If you have any questions or would like to chat, please feel free to email me at saslan@bu.edu!

Emilia Lacy

Hey! I’m Emilia (she/her), a second-year Poli Sci & Philosophy major and Music Performance minor. I currently serve as a Class of 2027 Rep and I’m now also running to be a Co-Chair. I’ve truly enjoyed my time on KLAB where I’ve learned how to be both a supportive and assertive leader. I created the KHC crew necks you’ve seen your Killymates modeling down Comm Ave, I’ve led planning events like the Pumpkin Painting Contest with my fellow sophomores (next up: Red Sox Night in the spring!), and you can catch me refilling the TP every Wednesday night–an example of a fresh initiative I saw our current Co-Chairs spearhead during my first semester on KLAB. Whether it’s through budget calculations, organizing community-building events, hands-on involvement with our institution, or just being an active voice at every meeting for old and new initiatives alike, I’ve soaked up working with this board and feel prepared to take on greater responsibility. I embrace being a creative, collaborative, and compassionate leader, and I love being able to give back to the wonderful Kilachand experience I’ve had so far. Thank you so much for your consideration, and see you around!

Kuhu Bhattacharya

Did you want to take the spring seminars on ‘Re-examining Childhood Stories’, ‘Poetry & Activism’, or ‘Ethics of War’? Why? Was it because it gave you HUBs? Because it sounded interesting? Or was it the perfect break from the stressors of your major?

For me, the beauty of KHC lies in stepping outside your major and exploring ideas that make you think differently. As your KLAB representative, I want to make sure we have more of those “fun” classes and co-curriculars—the kind you look forward to, (the kind that gives you difficult HUBs,) and the kind that doesn’t take time away from your major but instead be an intellectual break, something refreshing and rewarding (hint: a B99-themed Halloween Heist perhaps?)

I’m here to hear your thoughts—what you want, what you need, and what will make your KHC experience even better. I want to advocate for an environment that focuses on developing real-world skills and build a place where exploration and creativity thrive.

Carolyn Chen

View Carolyn’s Candidate Video

Georgie Ford

I would be a good KLAB representative for the class of 2024 because I am organized and want to plan fun and interesting events that appeal to everyone in the Kilachand community. In particular I think that more service-based cocurriculars and cocurriculars that involve exploring boston more would be beneficial.
Dorsa Ghazanfari

View Dorsa’s Candidate Video

Shriya Jonnalagadda

Hello! My name is Shriya Jonnalagadda and I am very excited about the opportunity to run for the Kilachand Leadership Advisory board.

The thing I appreciate the most about KHC is its emphasis on community. Coming in, I was wondering why all freshmen were required to live in Kilachand Hall. But as the semester went on, I realized – the studio and seminar classes, living in the same building, studying on the 9th floor, and attending the same events had created close relationships. As I am writing this statement over Thanksgiving break, I truly do miss the Kilachand community.

As your class representative, I would love to give back to this very community by ensuring that students’ voices are heard and that our collective ideas help make our time at Kilachand even better. I’m excited about the opportunity to work with other KLAB members to plan activities, advocate for your suggestions, and promote helpful ideas.

With my past leadership experience, I believe I can make a substantial difference as a representative. As the Chief Marketing Officer of a global non-profit, I developed strong communication and community-building skills, while also learning how to advocate for diverse groups. As president of the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society in high school, I worked closely with students to ensure their voices were heard and their ideas were taken seriously. Leading TEDx and CyberPatriot teams taught me how to plan events, bring new ideas to fruition, and collaborate with peers. These experiences have shaped me into a leader who values inclusivity and is always striving to make a positive impact.

Kilachand has already had such a positive impact on me, and I would love to give back to the community by helping create an even stronger, more connected environment for all of us. I’m passionate about making the next 4 years a memorable experience for everyone, and I hope to have your vote to serve you as a representative!

Declan Lacey

Hello, all!

I feel that Thanksgiving break has finally given me the chance to relax and unpack my overall “college experience” since arriving at BU. From what I’ve gathered, the Kilachand Class of 2028 is a small collection of incredibly strange people, with wildly unique interests and hobbies, living together in an old hotel—and quite honestly, this is all very unfamiliar to me.

So far, college has been very unpredictable, and I don’t think anybody can do anything to change that. Instead, as a KLAB representative, I want to use our unique curriculum and opportunities in Kilachand to help strengthen this remarkable community. I’ve been lucky enough to live in a variety of states (most recently, Kentucky), and I’ve subsequently gone to high schools with total enrollments ranging from 200 to 3,000 students. These experiences have greatly aided in developing my ability to form robust communities and relationships in unique environments. In Kilachand, I have several plans for how to strengthen student life and community based on what I’ve seen work best.

I want to provide more opportunities to go on off-campus student retreats. Boston is the epicenter of an enormous amount of art, culture, and science. Organizing regular student trips off campus will not only provide perspective but also facilitate a level of peer bonding that is impossible to have inside a classroom.

Alongside these trips, I plan to implement and host more regular community events. These events will be proposed and run by Kilachand students. An event I plan to create is a Painting and Pottery Night: giving you the chance to create your own masterpiece to zest up that dorm!

Outside of these community events, I also have additional goals with regard to general student life. As a representative, I plan on waiving the additional laundry fee for washing and drying clothes. I believe this goal is entirely achievable, as KLAB has already been able to provide free toilet paper and soap for the community.

These plans are by no means comprehensive. Instead, I hope my ideas serve as a starting point for ongoing collaboration between Kilachand students and faculty. It will be my utmost priority to be sure that everyone has a voice and the potential to improve our community as a whole.

– Declan Lacey

Meia Popp

Hello! My name is Meia, and I’m a freshman from Jacksonville, Florida. Thank you for nominating me for KLAB! I would love to be a member of KLAB to serve not only as a class representative and lead change, but also to be a resource for other students. I prioritize hearing and considering everyone’s opinions, especially since KHC includes students from a wide variety of backgrounds. I am excited to hear from all of you and will do my best to make the changes you hope for. Additionally, I hope to be a friend and resource for everyone, and to be someone you can approach with anything. I have experience on leadership boards in high school such as Club Council, which oversaw all student organizations, the Senior Women council, which planned fundraisers and events for the Senior class, and I founded Caitlin’s Closet at my school, a club that collected formal dresses to donate to underprivileged girls in my area. Finally, I am very passionate, driven, and creative, and will reach anything I set my mind to. I will devote my time and talents to you all, and I hope you will vote for me!

Meredith Rizek

As a student of Kilachand Honors College, I have experienced firsthand the incredible potential of our community to foster academic growth, personal development, and lasting connections. I am running for a position in KLAB because I am passionate about making our college experience even more enriching for all students.

Through my involvement in various campus organizations and my commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive environment, I have seen how small changes can have a big impact on student life. Whether it’s improving communication between students and administration, organizing events that cater to diverse interests, or fostering stronger connections among students, I believe that we can make Kilachand an even more vibrant and collaborative place.

I am driven by the belief that student voices should be at the heart of decision-making. If elected, I will work hard to ensure that the concerns and ideas of all Kilachand students are heard and addressed. I want to create opportunities for every student to get involved, express their opinions, and make lasting contributions to the college community. With a collaborative mindset and a deep commitment to service, I am excited for the opportunity to contribute to the continued growth of Kilachand Honors College.

Lex Shah

Hello! My name is Lex Shah, a Finance major in Questrom, and I believe I’ll be the best fit for KLAB because of my outgoing personality and drive to bring people together as much as possible. Collaboration, whether through a fun event, or a professional CoCurricular, often creates the best memories, and this belief will be implemented immediately in my time as a KLAB rep. My personality will also allow me to focus on all KIlachand feedback students would like to give to directors.

Please reach out online, or come to Room 301 in Kilachand, if you want to talk more about what I can do for you!

Duru Yuceturk

View Duru’s Candidate Video

Working for the benefit of my community has always been something that I deeply care about, and I would especially want to play a role in cultivating the Kilachand community. As a first-year international student, the warm and welcoming environment of KHC has immensely helped me with my transition to college. Now, I want to give back to this unique community by representing student voices and enhancing the Kilachand Honors College experience.

My previous experiences as I was an active member of student council for 4 years back in high school taught me the skills that I am eager to apply and further improve through KLAB. Especially my past experience with advocating for students as well as forming a bridge between the student body and school administration led me to improve my communication skills, especially listening to and understanding diverse perspectives, collaborating on coming up with creative solutions and effectively conveying my ideas for change. Thus, organizing various student council events strengthened my organizational and teamworking skills.

I believe KLAB has a strong foundation and intention to better the KHC community where I am confident to play a role in effectively advocating for students as well as incorporating creativity in organizing events and overcoming challenges. Considering my incentives and past experience with student-led organizations I am willing to communicate, collaborate and commit to fostering the KHC community.

Miles Brown

Hello! If you do not know me already, my name is Miles Brown and I would love to continue serving as your representative for the class of 2027. I am currently studying psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences and minoring in Business Administration & Management. Outside of KLAB, I am involved in Pioneer Impact Consulting, Undergraduate Psychology Association, Umoja, and Alpha Kappa Psi.

This past year I have loved planning different events like trivia nights, escape rooms, and pumpkin painting and hope to continue gathering the Kilachand community together. Besides events, I have enjoyed voicing the concerns of the class and seeing change whether in curriculums or class cohesiveness. If reelected, I will continue with the mission I began with: strengthening the Kilachand community not only socially but academically.

Vote Miles!

Emilia Lacy

Hey! I’m Emilia (she/her), a second-year Poli Sci & Philosophy major and Music Performance minor. I currently serve as a Class of 2027 Rep and I’m now also running to be a Co-Chair (& Class Rep). I’ve truly enjoyed my time on KLAB where I’ve learned how to be both a supportive and assertive leader. I created the KHC crew necks you’ve seen your Killymates modeling down Comm Ave, I’ve led planning events like the Pumpkin Painting Contest with my fellow sophomores (next up: Red Sox Night in the spring!), and you can catch me refilling the TP every Wednesday night–an example of a fresh initiative I saw our current Co-Chairs spearhead during my first semester on KLAB. Whether it’s through budget calculations, organizing community-building events, hands-on involvement with our institution, or just being an active voice at every meeting for old and new initiatives alike, I’ve soaked up working with this board and feel prepared to take on greater responsibility. I embrace being a creative, collaborative, and compassionate leader, and I love being able to give back to the wonderful Kilachand experience I’ve had so far. Thank you so much for your consideration, and see you around!

Alexia Nastasia

I’m Alexia and I would greatly appreciate your vote for KLAB! Vote for me so I can be an effective representative for you!

I am interested in serving as a KLAB representative because, as a member of a family of new immigrants from Eastern Europe to the United States, I believe that a vibrant community cannot be maintained without the joint efforts of its members, so I am committed to doing my share to contribute to the vibrancy of my academic home, Boston University and in particular of its Kilachand Honors College in which I am delighted to be part of. In the past year, I have been both a Kilachand Ambassador and a Kilachand Mentor, engaging with prospective and incoming students and discussing with them about what our honors program has to offer.

I have the breadth of experience needed for being an effective KLAB representative. At Boston University, I’m pursuing a double major in International Studies and Sociocultural Anthropology as well as two minors in Urban Studies and Philosophy. I work as an Events and Engagement Intern for BU Sustainability and I am passionate about the environmental advocacy work I do as part of my internship position on campus. During freshman year, I was a Student Senator (first year representative for the College of Arts and Sciences) and an editor for the Americas for the International Relations Review. During sophomore year, I am a member of the CAS DEI Student Council and an editor for the Arche journal. Since fall 2023 I have been leading a collaborative project evaluating student experiences with environmental injustice and student perceptions on BU’s environmental justice efforts with funding from the Campus Climate Lab and in summer 2024 I pursued ae project of mapping youth-driven initiatives for addressing the climate crisis with funding from the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.

If elected to serve on KLAB, I will jumpstart several initiatives aimed at further improving the academic and social experiences of Kilachand Honors College students. I will advocate for a Kilachand meet and greet at the beginning of the school year and a Kilachand party at the end of the school year, which will be meant to increase the cohesiveness and sense of belonging of honors cohorts. Moreover, I will propose an increased focus on activities related to the diversity of our community and to sustainability, more options for Kilachand activities on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, as well as a spring break option specifically dedicated to Kilachand students. I also plan to organize listening sessions with Kilachand students, held twice a semester, to assess satisfaction with existing programming, gather ideas on new activities, and ensure KLAB responds to the needs of students.

Lydia Palmer

JOBS! Hi all, my name is Lydia and I want to be part of Klab to help you guys with 1 thing. Getting your dream job! Kilachand exposes us to a lot of cool disciplines, and interdisciplinary ideas, but we have no guidance or encouragement in our lives outside of college. As students of the honors college, I know our high motivation and strong academic commitment means we’re thinking about our futures. Let me help you get that dream job, because a lot goes into applying and achieving it. Alumni outreach, informational interviews, job research, application editing, deadlines, more deadlines, interviews, and more. Whether you’re a freshman looking to find summer research, a sophomore trying to get a fellowship, a junior looking for that perfect internship, or a senior trying to find that perfect company, you can all benefit from what I have in store. Come to my presentation or stop me in the hallway to hear more about it!

Kilee Simon

Hello, my name is Kilee Simon, and I am a sophomore at Boston University studying Political Science. I am also a proud member of Kilachand Honors College’s Kilachand Leadership Advisory Board (KLAB).

During my time at Kilachand, I have served as the Freshman Representative on KLAB, where I advocate for the needs and concerns of freshman and sophomore students directly to Dr. Melissa Holt. This role has encompassed a wide variety of responsibilities, from addressing practical issues like ensuring the availability of essential supplies such as toilet paper and soap, to tackling more substantial matters, including relaying student feedback about Kilachand classes and professors.

I frequently receive messages and emails from peers sharing their thoughts, suggestions, and requests, which highlights the vital role I play in bridging the gap between students and administration.

I find this role rewarding as it strengthens my connections with peers, who trust me to convey their concerns to faculty. Beyond my role as Freshman Representative, I also help organize Kilachand events, like the pumpkin painting activity, help strengthen our KLAB Instagram presence and foster collaboration with KLAB members to enrich the student experience at Kilachand. This is why I believe continuing my role as class representative for another year would greatly benefit the Kilachand community.

Sydney Aslan

Hey everyone! My name is Sydney Aslan (she/her), and I’m a political science major with minors in public relations and environmental analysis and policy. I’ve been on KLAB since my freshman year and would love to continue representing KHC’s Class of 2026!

I really feel that KLAB is in such an important and wonderful position to imagine the future of Kilachand. In the past year, I’ve been able to discuss the reimagining of Kilachand’s strategic guidelines and ways the Kilachand curriculum and experience can better help students. I’ve also worked on several new events in the last year, such as the upperclassmen riverboat cruise in the fall and sports day in the spring that I would love to see continued into the future! We’ve also launched several new initiatives in the last year. One of these is Kilachand’s Toilet Paper Initiative, which provides free toilet paper and hand soap to Kilachand Hall residents. Another is the Kilachand merch that we launched this last fall with KHC sweatshirts!

However, although I’m incredibly proud of the work KLAB has done in the past couple years, I’m even more excited for what I hope to do on KLAB in the future. I’m really looking forward to helping the Haley House volunteering opportunities occur more regularly for co-curricular credit, and I’d love to see what other volunteering opportunities we could connect with in the Boston community. I feel like giving back to Boston and our greater community is certainly in-line with Kilachand’s mission and something we could do more of. Additionally, I would love to expand the Kilachand merch to include Kilachand PJ pants! :) Finally, I would love to have a Kilachand block party at the beginning of the school year. This could be something similar to the current welcome-back BBQ but could take place outside, possibly in the back alleyway, and could have food, music, carnival games, etc.

If you have any questions or would like to chat, please feel free to email me at saslan@bu.edu!

Isabella Castillo

View Isabella’s Candidate Video

Thomas Larsen

Hello everyone! I am once again seeking your vote for KLAB to serve for a third term. I have had the distinct pleasure of serving you all since Freshman year. During my last tenure, I had numerous accomplishments. I brought the Kilachand Toilary Pantry to full operational order, providing free toilet paper to the Kilachand community. This has been restocked regularly and has been tremendously successful. I have also worked to adjust our event schedule to include fewer but more substantial ones. I accomplished this last semester by expanding our historic Red Sox night to bring more people than ever for a fun night at Fenway. I also worked with other KLAB members and administration to help bring about the first-ever Kilachand Boat Party for our Juniors and Seniors. This has been a project years in the making and provided our Juniors and Seniors a unique opportunity to come together and build community. Another large accomplishment for this past year was the provision of the first-ever KLAB merch drop which was a smashing success. I have also helped ensure that KLAB is more active in the community, ensuring that we have a table and are known at various Kilachand and Kilachand Hall events.

During my tenure over the past year, I have served as the curriculum and co-curricular chair. In this role, I have provided feedback on co-curricular and curriculum changes from the student body to administrators. During the phasing out of 401, I made sure to share the complaints that were shared with me to administration. I also led an effort to establish a community service co-curricular opportunity which we trial ran this past semester at Hailey House. With this trial’s success, we will now run this as an event multiple times in the upcoming semester. I also helped bring a student’s idea for a hackathon alive as a co-curricular this past semester.

If elected again, I hope to continue the good work I have accomplished in the past few years. First, I want to work with the administration to create a fun event for each class, similar to a Red Sox Night or Boat Cruise, so they can have an opportunity to build intra-class relationships. I also want to create more co-curriculars that will provide KHC students with some sort of certification, such as CPR. With The successful other toiletry pantry, I hope to expand it to include more necessities beyond toilet paper and soap. Lastly, I want to expand our KLAB grant for Kilachand related clubs and clubs run by KHC students so they can also help in forming a community in Kilachand. As always I promise to continue being present within the KHC Community, to always be open for a quick chat, lunch, and a new idea. I promise to continue working diligently on the platform that I have outlined above. I promise to continue to fight for your interests and to improve the KHC experience in any way possible. It is with these achievements, these promises, and this platform that I humbly ask for your vote (a vote for Thomas Larsen) for KLAB.

Prerna Shankar

Hey everyone! My name is Prerna Shankar, and I’m running to be one of your Junior KLAB Representatives. I’ve been in KLAB for about a year now, and I’d like to say we’ve accomplished a lot these last two semesters! KLAB has run some super fun events, including a Riverboat Party, interactive co-curriculars, and even a KHC merch drop! We also started a toilet paper pantry, and chose a mascot, Bleu the Kangaroo, for KHC. I feel that KLAB’s initiatives have been super student-focused and fun, and I want to continue spearheading that as a Senior representative.

Last year, my goal as a KLAB representative was to create a collaborative, interdisciplinary co-curricular that students could take part in and learn from while having fun with friends. I’m glad to say that we did it– “Kilachand Kollaborate” was a very successful co-curricular this semester! In the future, I’d like to bring it back and make it a larger and more streamlined (read: shorter) event. Instead of an all-day event, a shorter “speed hackathon”, spanning 2 hours, would be more engaging, popular, and would check the same boxes as our event last spring: applicable in real life, interdisciplinary, and collaborative across majors and years. I would also love to look into having participation in the Hackathon be worth 2 co-curricular credits and watching the student presentations be worth 1 co-curricular credit.

Additionally, KLAB’s presence on social media has been much more active over the last year, and I plan to keep that same level of activity as one of KLAB’s Social Media chairs. I hope you’ve been seeing more of what KLAB has been up to, and been able to stay more involved. We’ve gotten a lot more student engagement this year, which is super exciting, and something we always want more of. There will be more “Find Bleu the Kangaroo” scavenger hunts for prizes soon! Fun things are coming your way :)

This upcoming year, I would love to continue doing my best to make KLAB, and Kilachand, more accessible and open to students. This means more social media engagement, merch drops, student-focused fun events, and Kilachand bonding initiatives! And I’m still trying to make regular KLAB trivia nights happen too!

Thanks for considering me as your KLAB Representative (again)! If you have any questions about my initiatives, please don’t hesitate to contact me: my email is prernas7@bu.edu.