GISA Spring 2025 Candidate Profiles: Maria Elena Lugo for Events Coordinator

In conversation with Maria Elena Lugo, MINT Human Rights and Humanitarianism 1st Year and part of the BA/MA Programme with Seton Hall University.

Q: What makes you the ideal candidate for your role, and how do you believe your background will help you succeed in this position?

I believe that I am the best candidate for Events Coordinator because of my commitment to helping build belonging. Growing up as a Latina in the U.S., doing my undergrad out of the state I grew up in, and now navigating life in Geneva for grad school, I’ve experienced firsthand how challenging it can be to find and build community far from home. This perspective drives my passion for creating spaces where students can connect, feel supported, and thrive.

My background is rooted in organizing large-scale events and building coalitions, particularly to uplift underrepresented communities. As the founder of the Latin Caucus student coalition and through my work with the Latino Institute on campus, I’ve led initiatives that connected hundreds of students and secured resources for underserved populations.

These experiences have taught me how to design events that are more than just fun—they’re meaningful, empowering, and impactful. At IHEID, I hope to carry that forward by supporting mentorship efforts and launching a digital Student Events Toolkit. This resource will make event planning more accessible and give students the confidence to create events that truly matter. My approach is grounded in collaboration and adaptability, and I’m excited to co-shape this evolving role with the student body.

Q: How do you plan to approach the role in a way that ensures the smooth running of GISA’s operations and fosters a collaborative atmosphere?

To support GISA’s operations and foster collaboration, I plan to implement regular feedback through Google Forms and launch a digital Student Events Toolkit. This toolkit will act as a central, easy-to-access resource with step-by-step guidance and answers to frequently asked questions, empowering students to troubleshoot common issues on their own.

One big logistical challenge in this role is coordinating space and resolving scheduling conflicts. By minimizing repetitive questions and streamlining information, I can free up time to focus on problem-solving and supporting student leaders more directly. My goal is to build a system that reduces bottlenecks, and allows me to stay responsive and present for the vibrant, diverse programming already in motion. Creating this shared resource will also promote transparency and collaboration, helping us all work better together.

Q: What past experiences have prepared you for the challenges of this role, and how will you use these experiences to improve GISA’s efficiency?

As the founder and chair of the Latin Caucus at a university serving over 10,000 students, I united more than 10 Latin-based student organizations that had grown disconnected in the wake of the pandemic’s disruptions. In doing so, I worked both at scale, representing a large student population, and directly with student leaders to strengthen collaboration and shared advocacy. I regularly met with the university administration to address challenges like space reservations and policy barriers. My advocacy helped successfully bring greater access to scholarship funds for underprivileged students. These experiences taught me how to navigate institutional systems and coordinate efficiently across different stakeholders—skills that directly apply to the Events Coordinator role.

In addition, I supported major fundraising galas at the Joseph A. Unanue Latino Institute, coordinating with donors and public figures to support underserved students. These high-impact events prepared me to take on large-scale responsibilities like our graduation celebration with confidence.

Finally, my experience representing the Tinker Institute on International Law at UN commissions such as the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and the Commission for Social Development (CSocD) expanded my perspective on event coordination in the international space.

Across all of these roles, I’ve learned how to listen, prioritize, and lead inclusive programming that brings people together while staying organized and effective.

Q: If elected, what would be your primary goal and how would you ensure its successful implementation during your tenure?

 My primary goal is to equip students with the tools they need to get the most out of events, whether they’re attending or organizing them. There is little value in throwing events at students if they are not benefiting from them. That is why I will support mentorship initiatives that help students feel confident navigating events both professional and social at the Graduate Institute. At the same time, I’ll develop a digital, accessible “one-stop-shop” toolkit to guide event planning and answer frequently asked questions. This resource will grow and evolve throughout the year as student needs develop. I hope to expand the toolkit to support related concerns, such as housing issues or navigating logistics, ensuring transparency, accessibility, and smoother coordination for everyone involved.

Q: How do you plan to make GISA more accessible and transparent for students, particularly when it comes to administrative processes and decision-making?

I plan to make GISA more accessible by building a digital, evolving “Student Toolkit” that simplifies event planning, space reservations, funding requests, and other key processes, clearly and all in one place. Students shouldn’t need to navigate word-of-mouth systems or track down answers from busy representatives. This toolkit will grow based on student feedback and real questions asked, making GISA’s operations easier to understand and engage with.

Beyond the toolkit, I’ll strengthen transparency through regular, short feedback surveys and open forums, making sure your concerns are heard and reflected in GISA’s work. I want students to feel confident not just accessing resources, but also shaping the decisions that affect our community. This approach builds on my experience creating accessible systems and advocating across both student leadership and administrative spaces.

Q: What are three core values you bring to your role?

Community: I am committed to helping build a sense of community where every student feels connected.

Attentiveness: I prioritize actively listening to students’ needs and concerns to ensure responsive and meaningful engagement.

Adaptability: I remain flexible and open to change, using my adaptability to overcome challenges and improve our processes.

Q: Lastly, a few creative ways or plans of action (chance to do something different)

While most events are organized by student-led initiatives, I see the Events Coordinator role as a bridge that helps make every event more accessible and welcoming. That’s why, in addition to supporting quality mentorship and launching a Student Events Toolkit, I want to create resources that help student planners communicate inclusively. This includes offering templates and tools for multilingual promotion, plain language summaries, and visual accessibility tips. By working with initiatives to identify the most commonly spoken languages in our community, I can help ensure that students feel seen despite any language barriers they might experience. Events should not just be open to all; they should feel intentionally made for all.