This spring, the University of Nevada, Reno College of Business students elected four Senators to represent the College within the Associated Students of the University of Nevada, Reno (ASUN). The students shared how they plan to represent the College and their peers in the Q&A below.

Diana Landazuri Nova

Finance and economics major, Diana Landazuri Nova, is a first-generation Latinx undergraduate student from Las Vegas, Nevada. Besides stepping up as a leader and representative for the College of Business and the ASUN Senate, Nova is also the proud president of the International Club on-campus, as well as serving as a residential assistant at Great Basin Hall for the LatinX, Black Scholars and Gender, Sexuality, and Identity floor. In addition, Nova is a Bizfit mentor to first-year students and a teacher’s assistant (TA) at the University. Nova is also the vice president for the Economics Club.

What made you want to run for the ASUN Senate?

“I have a lot of goals I wanted to accomplish, specifically for the College of Business at the University of Nevada, Reno. This is my first time as a member of ASUN; however, I am determined to make a permanent and positive change for the students and my community.”

What do you hope to accomplish as a current Senator for the College of Business?

“I have three main campaign goals. Firstly, I wanted to create financial aid initiatives. I have noticed there are limited scholarships for business students, and I want to provide more opportunities for undocumented students and to those who cannot apply for FAFSA. Another goal of mine includes evening out the student-faculty ratio in the College of Business. There are so many students with very few business professors to mentor them. I also believe the University should provide more business-orientated tutoring, helping students in need of extra learning support in their accounting or economics courses.”

What has your experience been like so far as an ASUN Senator?

“My experience has been mostly positive. Especially with the College of Business Senators just getting started and a lot of us being new to these positions, we all have been able to embrace the learning curves and working together.”

What is your role as an ASUN Senator?

“I am a part of two committees, and I can choose to be chair of one of them. Currently, I am the chair of the Committee of Budget and Finance, which has been the biggest project I have taken on, so far. I am given the opportunity to oversee a budget of $2.6 million dollars and hold financial reviews for all 23 ASUN accounts to ensure they’re spending money responsibly.”

Mark Meiszburger

Incoming junior and business finance major, Mark Meiszburger, is a first-generation undergraduate student from Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a proud member of the Zeta Psi fraternity and currently serving his second term as the incumbent Senator at the University. Meiszburger passionately believes that strengthening the University comes from serving the students and providing support and leadership as an ASUN Senator. Meiszburger hopes to improve relations between the University and the community within Reno by extensively working with off-campus and on-campus clubs and organizations.

What made you want to run for the ASUN Senate?

“Overall, I love our campus and the College of Business. We needed a representative to seek change and be a voice for the voiceless. Of course, I see plenty of representation at the University already; however, it is important to uphold the traditions on campus. I am a first-generation Hungarian student, so tradition means a lot to me, and it plays a huge part in my life. To give students long-lasting friendships and connections at the University, annual events, as well as traditions, should be established.”

What do you hope to accomplish as a current Senator for the College of Business?

“My goal is to write legislation that will be long-lasting and that will make a positive impact. I also want to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. I genuinely hope to make all students feel welcome, especially during BizFit week. I also want to bring awareness to the student body of the many unrecognized facilities the University provides, including free mental health services on campus. I’ve noticed many students have not realized that they have easy access to facilities that specialize in mental health.”

What has your experience been like so far as an ASUN Senator?

“My experience as an ASUN Senator has been amazing. Everyone I get to work with has been extremely friendly and helpful. Being a member of the ASUN Senate feels like the equivalent of being a part of a team. We all want the same thing, in terms of making an impact on the student body; we all just have different ways of getting to that end goal. By using everyone’s skills and strengths, we all collaborate with one another to achieve specific goals as student Senators.”

What is your role as an ASUN Senator?

“Besides my overarching role as an ASUN Senator for the College of Business, I am currently the committee chair for the Committee on Academic Student Affairs (ASA). I’m also the vice chair for the Committee on Safety, Sustainability and Wellness at the University, as well.”

Makayla Mirth

Also representing the College of Business as a 2023-2024 ASUN Senator, Makayla Mirth is passionate and knowledgeable on many issues that she believes the student body can help advocate for. Mirth not only encourages her fellow students to attend monthly ASUN Senate meetings to collaborate and share ideas that they believe should be applied on campus, but she also hopes to instill a welcoming environment as a leader at the University. In addition to influencing inclusivity to current and incoming students, Mirth encourages fellow business students to participate in partnerships and other learning opportunities no matter their graduation year or experience.

What made you want to run for the ASUN Senate?

“When I visited the campus during my senior year, I was inspired by the passion I saw in this student government. I took note of the change they were making, and I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself. My interest in becoming a Senator for the College of Business peaked after my Nevada Bound trip and discussing ASUN with my Nevada Bound mentors.”

What do you hope to accomplish as a current Senator for the College of Business?

“I am very passionate about safety; one of my main concerns during my campaign was to improve the safety around campus. One of the first things I hope to accomplish as a Senator is to add additional lighting, not only on campus but also around campus, especially in the dim parking lots and walkways.”

What has your experience been like so far as an ASUN Senator?

“Although it has only been a few months as an official member of the ASUN Senate, my experience has been super positive. I have gotten to outreach with a lot of individuals and speak further on issues I never realized were happening on campus. Overall, being a Senator has opened my eyes to the significant impact we all can make as students. I am excited to move forward with the projects I have in place for the future.”

What is your role as an ASUN Senator?

“My role as the Senator for the College of Business is representing the undergraduate business students. I attend weekly senate meetings, write legislation for bills and do weekly outreach to discover problems and solutions. I am also a part of two committees, the Committee on Budget and Finance and the Committee on Safety, Sustainability and Wellness.”

What are the responsibilities of the committees you are a part of?

“In the Committee on Budget and Finance, we are allocating for the entire budget, which was $2.49 million. Each committee member is given a different section to review and check that spending is not only allocated for but also being used properly. As for the Committee on Safety, Sustainability, and Wellness, we focus on how we can improve the overall quality of the University. Some ideas that are currently up in the air include reducing paper waste on campus, improving the safety of students, especially being so close to the downtown area, and advocating for the mental health of the entire student body, which is another huge concern for me being that a lot of people come to college with past trauma, never lived on their own before or even have challenges with heavy course loads.”

Melanie Acevedo Perez

Pursuing a degree in accounting, Melanie Acevedo Perez is a first-generation third-year student, born and raised in Reno, Nevada. Perez also graduated from North Valleys High School. Perez hopes to promote financial transparency to all students at the University, to ensure fees are effectively used toward academic, professional and personal development. In addition, Perez wants to emphasize expanding legal services through ASUN for students, regarding citizenship and immigration. Perez currently sits on the Committee on Budget and Finance, as well as the Committee on Safety, Sustainability and Wellness.