Editor’s note: This piece reflects the views of the author and not those of Emerald Media Group. It has been edited by the Emerald for grammar and style. Send your columns or submissions about our content or campus issues to [email protected].
You can’t be what you can’t see. More than a third of University of Oregon students suffer with mental health issues; an even higher number think that receiving treatment will subject them to social stigmatization. Unaddressed mental health issues deprive students of their potential to make the most of their university experience; and the prevalence of these issues will only grow as we ever so slowly emerge from the pandemic. I know this all first hand.
As an outspoken advocate for reducing the social stigma around mental health treatment, I believe I would be a crucial addition to the board of trustees. The board will soon be welcoming several new members and I hope to be one of them. 
Though whatever “success” I have attained has come through substantial privilege and good fortune, I aspire to be a role model for students — an example of how one anorexic child navigated school, life and the professional world to eventually earn positions at high-ranking graduate schools and in well-known, influential companies. Given that more than 40% of students think receiving mental health services will be met with social scorn and skepticism, I am eager to help push back on that narrative and do what I can to encourage Ducks to get the support they need to take flight. 
My close connections to current students and experience in online education, in two degree programs at two elite institutions, will also be of value as the board weighs how to adjust to the COVID-19-imposed changes to higher education. If fortunate enough to earn a seat on the board, I will continue my efforts to proactively and meaningfully engage with current students. Case in point, I am already in touch with ASUO leaders to better understand their proposal for a Basic Needs Coordinator — someone who can help students spend less time navigating social services and more time focusing on their coursework. I also look forward to connecting with university senate leaders to learn more about their Anti-Racism Academy and to take the Senate President Elliot Berkman up on his invitation to the board to participate in the Academy. 
The board also needs some youthful alumni. Social capital is arguably just as important as intellectual capital in today’s job market. It’s great that the board has several titans of industry, but students rarely get their “in” to a company through the CEO. Instead, UO can help secure the personal and professional success of students by bringing more recent grads into the fold. I am humbled to have played a part in helping students land jobs, prepare for distinguished scholarship interviews and connect with people in my own network. From talking with these students, they share a fear I also have as a student — that school officials simply don’t understand what it’s like to be a student in Zoom times. I feel that my exposure to online education at Harvard and Berkeley — where I am pursuing a masters of public administration and juris doctorate, respectively — will add an important perspective to that of the student representative on the board. Together, we can make sure that coursework and resources focused on social capital reflect changes in technology and the economy. 
I know that I am prepared to serve on this board, even though my resume doesn’t match those of current members. My recommenders, which include two former statewide officials, several professors, one Olympian and distinguished Duck and a variety of other members of the UO community, testify to my exposure to complex financial documents, difficult decisions and questions involving diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. To the extent I have yet to master all the traits associated with a great board member, I am dedicated to studying what I don’t know and diligently pursuing those answers. 
You can’t be what you can’t see. A lot of students are looking for an example of a young Duck with whom they can relate — someone who has been in their shoes when it comes to grappling with the daily darkness tied to mental health struggles, a darkness that can block out the sun that should be associated with attending the UO. I will do my utmost to provide that example.

 As I continue through this process, I hope to hear from as many students as possible about how the board can be more responsive to their needs and an even more engaged and informed community stakeholder. In particular, if you’re among those who don’t feel welcomed at the UO or feel as though you’re slipping through the cracks of the administration, I would very much like to learn more about your experience. Feel free to email me at [email protected].
Kevin Frazier is a student at the UC Berkeley School of Law and Harvard Kennedy School. He runs No One Left Offline, a 501(c)3 that aims to close the Digital Divide, between Zoom classes.