Elections for the Lawrence Committee are now open and residents who are students can vote here. Partners and other eligible residents can vote by directly emailing Amber Serrano at as2250@princeton.edu. The voting will be open until Thursday, November 13 at noon (12:00 pm EST). The winners will be announced during the Lawrence Committee meeting to be held on Thursday, November 13th, 2024 at 4:30 pm. You may view the Candidate Statements for the election below.
Candidate Bios
Here are all the candidates, followed below by bios:
President: Chloe Wheeler
Secretary: Yinshan Shang
Social Chair: Tabreya Ryan
Facilities Manager: Robel Geda, Giovanna Amorim
Garden Coordinator: Leafy Ye
Garden Events Manager: Angelique Sayler
External Relations Delegate: Céleste Pagniello
Grants Manager: Yun Choi, Tachin Ruangkriengsin
President
Chloe Wheeler
Hello all! I’m Chloe, a 5th year grad student in Comparative Literature. I’ve served the past term as your Social Chair (you might have seen me around!). I hope to serve the community as President, and I would be thrilled to have your vote.
What I’ve worked on for Lawrence so far (in collaboration with the current committee!):
In my role as Social Chair, I focused on holding more events and making them more varied and accessible to all community members. Working with the Community Associate for Lawrence and the Committee itself, I sent out a survey at the beginning of my term to get a sense for what kinds of events residents wanted to see. In response to that, I held and, in some cases, co-hosted (with the CA) a variety of events over the winter and spring months: a clothing swap; painting, board games, and wine tasting nights. I also began two new traditions I hope to help the new Social Chair continue:
- the monthly breakfast at the bus stop (featuring Wawa) and
- seasonal garden parties! The garden parties had such good turnout; they reminded me why I love Lawrence so much (aka best community).
What I plan to do/continue doing if elected President:
With my experience having served as a Committee member this past year combined with 4 years of experience as Social Chair for my department, I offer the Lawrence community my management and organizational skills. Since the responsibilities of the Committee are shared across our bimonthly meetings, I enjoy delegating and doing the various tasks that have come up this year, such as:
-problem-solving when the listserv was down by moving announcements to Slack and pushing for a timely solution
-reporting broken parking lot lights rapidly
-managing budget (from the Social side) and creating expense reports
-spreading the word about the Garden space by co-hosting events
-collaborating with the Community Associates to make events as fun as possible for residents and increase coordination across the Grad School
-generating QR codes and distributing physical posters to make event registration easier
-advocating behind-the-scenes for our community
-helping the Committee as a whole mediate between the community of Lawrence and Housing.
I am confident that I will be an efficient facilitator of Committee business as President. A priority of mine is to make information and resources of the community as accessible and clear as possible—from meeting times to social events. To me (in practice) that means listening to, advocating for, and responding to the needs of residents.
I hope I can count on your vote – and I’ll see you at the next Breakfast at the Bus Stop in the meantime 🙂
Secretary
Yinshan Shang
Hi everyone! I am Yinshan, a 4th-year grad student in Economics. Having lived in Lawrence since 2023, I’ve come to deeply appreciate our supportive community. I am running for Secretary because I believe clear, timely, and organized communication is essential for a thriving neighborhood, and I have the experience and dedication to provide it. For the past two years, I have organized my department’s student reading group, where I was responsible for managing all communications, scheduling meetings, and distributing materials. I hope to bring that same reliability and focus to our Lawrence Committee.
If elected, I pledge to make our community communications more efficient and accessible. I will deliver clear, action-oriented meeting minutes within a week after each town hall so you always know what’s happening and what’s decided. I will manage the committee’s email account diligently to ensure your questions and concerns are promptly acknowledged and directed to the right person. I will also maintain the Lawrence website with timely updates so it can serve as a reliable hub for all community information. Finally, I will work closely with all committee members and community associates to effectively publicize events and announcements, helping to keep our community connected and vibrant.
I’d be glad to be the person on the other end of your inbox. Thank you for taking the time to participate in the elections!
Social Chair
Tabreya Ryan
Hi y’all! My name is Tabreya, and I’m running for Social Chair because I want to help create more opportunities for residents to connect, explore, and truly feel at home in our community. By “residents,” I mean everyone—students, families, children, spouses, and pets included!
I bring several years of experience in event planning and community engagement, and I’m passionate about building inclusive spaces where everyone feels welcome. As Social Chair, I hope to organize a variety of events to suit different interests—whether that’s coffee or matcha hours, friendly competitions like Easter egg hunts, movie nights, pet socials, or hobby and interest groups. Though I’m new to the Lawrence community, I’m eager to listen, collaborate, and help make Lawrence not just a place to live, but a place to belong—where individuals thrive and friendships begin, grow, and continue well into the future!
Facilities Manager
Robel Geda
My name is Robel and I am a fifth-year graduate student in the Astrophysics department. Lawrence has been my home since 2022, and I’ve loved every moment of being part of our community. Throughout my time here, I have proudly witnessed the evolution of Lawrence, its constitution, and its Committee. I have also witnessed Lawrence navigate out of challenging times, such as pandemic norms. Now that I’m an upperclass student, I feel it’s my turn to give back and serve my community.
I have decided to run for Facilities Manager because I believe it is an increasingly important, and perhaps urgent, role as our University navigates uncertain times. My goal as Facilities Manager is to ensure that living and raising a family at Lawrence is as comfortable and convenient as possible. This includes the usual responsibilities of serving as a bridge between our residents and the University’s Housing/Facilities departments; making moving as easy as possible; and making sure services, such as our laundry rooms, are functioning properly. I also hope to open up dialogue and make progress on topics regarding our community’s safety, such as better solutions for a resident losing their building key.
Beyond these responsibilities, I believe it’s become important to pay close attention to changes in funding and how they affect our community. I hope to work with my fellow committee members to make sure these shifts do not disrupt essential services, like timely repairs, maintenance schedules, and part replacements for things such as HVAC systems. I close by stating that I am a vigilant optimist, ready to serve Lawrence as it has served me. ~ Thank you.
Giovanna Amorim
Hi everyone!
My name is Giovanna Amorim, and I’m a G5 in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. I’ve been lucky to call Lawrence home since 2021, my very first year at Princeton, and I deeply value being part of this community. I’m running for the Facilities Manager position because I am committed to keeping our shared spaces clean, organized, and pleasant for everyone. Through my experience coordinating with Facilities on lab related issues, managing lab equipment purchases, and organizing lab events, as well as serving as a singles team captain for the Princeton Figure Skating Club, I have developed strong communication, management and problem-solving skills that I’m excited to bring to this role. I’ve also worked directly with Lawrence Facilities and Housing to help troubleshoot noise related issues affecting residents in my building last year. While the noise was a bit of a nightmare, it helped me get to know many of the staff who keep Lawrence running day to day and ultimately get the issue resolved.
If elected, I’ll focus on the following priorities:
- Serving our community first. I’ll stay attentive to issues that affect residents and communicate updates clearly, so everyone knows what’s being done to resolve them. My goal is to make it easy for you to raise a concern and always know what’s being done about it, so I’ll create clearer channels for residents to share facilities-related concerns
- Improving package delivery conditions. Packages are often left outside, where they can get wet, go missing or even stolen. I’ll work with Housing to explore solutions, and I’ll also advocate for a better process to deal with spoiled deliveries (trust me from experience, no one wants the smell of rotten chicken in the entryways from an abandoned food delivery).
- Maintaining cleaner and better-functioning laundry rooms. Many of us rely on these spaces daily, and cleanliness can quickly become an issue. Over the years, I’ve found socks, screws, coins, pens, jewelry, and even a lighter stuck in washer gaskets, small reminders of why machines need regular maintenance and encouraging residents to check the state of the laundry machines before/after each use go a long way. I’d also like to introduce a small lost-and-found box in laundry rooms for small valuable items found in machines like jewelry that may otherwise get lost in the room.
- Upgrading shared amenities like the car-wash area. I only discovered we had one this past summer after living here for over four years! I’d like to add signage to make it more visible and work with Facilities to address the hose condition. I’ll also look into small improvements like consistent water pressure and cleaning supplies. Since TPS has recently installed new bike pumps and repair stations at graduate housing sites, I’d like to keep that momentum going for other shared resources as well.
Lawrence is a wonderful community, and as Facilities Manager I’d work to ensure that it remains comfortable, safe, and well-maintained for everyone.
Thank you for your time and consideration!
Garden Coordinator
Leafy Ye
Hello fellow Lawrence residents! I am Leafy Ye, a second year graduate student in MOL. I have been actively involved in the Lawrence Community Garden throughout the past year and have deeply enjoyed every moment of helping it grow and flourish. I learned a lot from Kimmie, our amazing current Garden Coordinator, about how to maintain the garden and nurture a thriving community around it. I am now excited to be running for the Garden Coordinator position for the upcoming year!
My main goal is to make the garden easier and more enjoyable to manage for all gardeners. First, I plan to put significant effort into weed control, particularly to areas that are continuously overgrown, to restore balance and maintain a healthier ecosystem. Second, I aim to improve ground space management by introducing clearer plot boundaries—such as using ground covers—to reduce the maintenance burden for everyone. Third, I hope to make better use of our existing resources, including the greenhouse and tool shed, by optimizing their layout and storage, and by repurposing overgrown areas into solid ground for shared materials. Finally, I want to make the garden more welcoming and beginner friendly, creating an organized and inviting space that encourages more residents to join, garden, and relax.
I plan to serve in this role for more years if possible, as I believe it takes time and consistent effort for a garden to truly reach its potential. My vision is to make the Lawrence Community Garden not only fruitful in its harvests but also a source of joy, connection, and well-being for all residents. Thank you for your time and for participating in the elections. I look forward to growing our garden community together!
Garden Events Manager
Angelique Sayler
My name is Angelique and I’ve been part of the Lawrence community for the past 4 years. I work fulltime as a mental health therapist and my partner is in his fifth year in his program. I have enjoyed serving as Garden Events Manager over the past two years, during which I have learned so much about gardening and fostering community. I positively adore the garden and all that it represents. It provides students a reason to leave their apartments, take a mindful pause from their hectic lives, and care for something living. It’s a space that invites us to nurture plants, friendships, and our own physical and mental wellbeing.
As Garden Events Manager, I would continue to cultivate this sense of connection and wellbeing. My goal is to create events that celebrate community and the joy of being together in nature. I want the garden to be inviting not only for experienced gardeners, but also for first-time gardeners, partners of students, and those who simply want to enjoy the space. To this end, I will curate events focused on education, creativity, and accessibility. Ideas include: seed starting, nursery field trip/planting day, documentary viewings, crafting activities, seasonal celebrations, and casual socials. I will also create a survey to inquire about interest in potential future events and to allow residents to suggest future events. My hope is to make the garden a welcoming place for all who wish to pause, learn, and share in the beauty of this communal space. Thank you for considering me.
External Relations Delegate
Céleste Pagniello
Hello Lawrence residents! My name is Céleste, and I’m a 5th year PhD student in Musicology. I have lived in Lawrence for 3 years, and love this community and all the quirks that come with living in Lawrence.
I’m running to be your External Relations Delegate for the next year. As graduate students, we navigate not only the academic demands of our degrees but also the day-to-day realities of housing, transportation, safety, and adult life more generally. I believe that transparent communication and active advocacy are crucial to improving our collective experience. In this position, I will:
- Represent our community’s interests at Graduate Student Government General Assembly meetings, ensuring that Lawrence’s specific concerns are clearly communicated and acted upon.
- Maintain open channels of communication by regularly reporting back at Town Hall meetings, summarizing relevant discussions and decisions, and demystifying the bureaucracy that impacts our daily lives.
- Collaborate constructively with the Graduate Housing Advisory Board, Transportation & Parking Services, the Graduate School, and the Department of Public Safety to find practical solutions to any issues as they arise.
- Remain available to Lawrence community members by maintaining a visible presence at Lawrence events and being responsive to questions and concerns relevant to my role through the Slack or email.
I value listening to diverse perspectives, approaching issues with empathy, and turning feedback into tangible outcomes. If elected, I will work to make sure Lawrence residents not only have a seat at the table, but that our priorities shape the conversation. I will bring extensive committee and negotiating experience to my work in this position, having served all of the various communities that I have been part of throughout my higher education, from department committees to student group leadership.
I hope you’ll vote for me, and I look forward to doing everything in my power to continue to improve our living situations and the more tedious aspects of graduate life at Princeton!
Grants Manager
Yun Choi
Hi! My name is Yun Choi and I’m a G4 in Civil and Environmental Engineering. I’ve lived in Lawrence since 2022 and I want to contribute to our home at Lawrence as Grants Manager next year! My primary goal is to ensure our community has the funding to host social events and procure amenities for residents. I believe my experience with budgeting, departmental purchases, and organizing large social events has prepared me to execute on behalf of our community’s needs. I will be financially transparent, administratively quick, and dedicated to boosting our funding.
I have experience applying for and being awarded grants by staying on top of communication and effectively quantifying the expected positive outcomes, namely during my undergrad as the president of the Korean International Student Association. While meticulously budgeting and hosting large scale events with more than 400 attendees, I learned how to listen to collaborators’ needs and be resourceful – skills I will transfer to writing proposals for TigerWell and the GSG, among others. Additionally, my experience purchasing for my department’s happy hour has prepared me to promptly handle detail-oriented tasks like managing Concur and tax exemptions.
I will collaborate with my fellow committee members, listen to residents’ voices, and prioritize the grants the community wants and will most benefit from. If you have a brilliant idea for our Lawrence community – tell me! My job will be to find the money to make it happen.
Tachin Ruangkriengsin
Hello everyone! I’m Tachin Ruangkriengsin, a 4th-year graduate student in applied mathematics (PACM). For the past three years, Lawrence has been my home, a place full of memories, from the vibrant daytime community to the raccoons partying around the trash at night. I’m running for the Grants Manager position because I want to help make Lawrence more than just a place to live, a neighborhood where residents can truly relax and feel at home.
I believe managing our community’s resources requires both comfort with numbers and the ability to build relationships that drive new initiatives. As an undergraduate at UCLA, I led the Thai Students Association, serving as a liaison between Thai communities. During my tenure, I secured funding from the Royal Thai Consulate and local business owners to host cultural events on campus and across Los Angeles, managing multiple funding sources and allocating them effectively. At Princeton, I’ve been elected three times as my department’s graduate student representative, where I’ve given talks to visiting students and research groups and advocated for my peers in graduate student government. Having attended GSG assembly meetings regularly for the past two years, I’ve seen how collaboration with university offices and organizations can bring valuable resources to Lawrence. This semester, I’m also serving as head TA for a 200-student calculus course, managing ten TAs, coordinating logistics, and resolving conflicts to keep everything running smoothly. I hope to bring the same organization, initiative, and care to the Grants Manager role.
If elected, I’ll focus on identifying new opportunities that address residents’ needs while ensuring our funds are used thoughtfully and strategically. Recent committee minutes noted a strong budget surplus, with ongoing efforts to invest more in improving the Lawrence garden. I hope to help plan and prioritize this initiative while also working with the Social Chair to allocate part of the surplus toward enhancing community events throughout the year.
Let me know if you have any further questions and thanks for reading to the end 🙂