2026 SLC Election Candidate Profile – Rebecca Thomas

 I came to LB because I’m a nontraditional student. I was in the workforce for a long time, specifically in geriatric care. I wanted to advance my career prospects, whether it be through direct care in nursing or policymaking in public health. That’s why I chose LB because it’s really good for working students.

It’s a much different, a much better experience. I went directly into a university the first time around. I was younger. I didn’t truly know what I wanted, and so I jumped around a lot. I also didn’t have the focus and the drive that I do now. I find that I’m a much better student now, than I was back then.

I’ve had really good experiences with the teachers here. They’re very helpful. They’re very accommodating, which is really nice, especially if I’m, like, away for a leadership conference with the Student Leadership Council. (SLC) has been fantastic for me and for my development. Because I have tried to lead teams before, and I tend to be a bit of a doormat. I don’t like to make ripples. So this has been an experience to learn how to be kind but still be firm.

It’s the experience as a whole, working on a team going in the same direction, working towards the same goal, which is the betterment of students and the betterment of the college experience as a whole.

I had to take the first year seminar class that they had and Rob (Camp) came in to fill in as a teacher, and he told us all about it. And I’m like, oh, one I get leadership experience, and two, you pay me for this? Sold. And so that’s what got me interested. And then just working with the people has continually kept me interested.

I think the biggest surprise was just how big our team is. The fact that we aren’t a large school by any means, but we have, like, 30 members on our student leadership council if you include the interns. 

And so I think what surprised me was the size and the retention rate. People want to be there, and they want to help. As for what students may not know, they maybe don’t know that the president and vice president do spend a significant amount of time talking to upper leadership in the college for the changes that we want to make. We really do. We’re out there. We’re talking to people that are (high) up and trying to make changes. So it’s scary for sure, but we do it because we want the student experience to be better.

I think we have a really good team currently. I think where we’re heading currently is very, very good. My hope is just to continue that by helping with things like student well-being. 

So I would want to, I guess, poll the students to see what they would need for their own well-being, what they feel like student well-being is, and how we could help with that, if there is anything else we can do to help with that, besides what we have.

I know food insecurity has always been a big issue, and I know the current team’s working on it, and I suspect we will continue to work on it for a while. 

And the cost of tuition. And I don’t think there’s any way to escape the fact that we’re probably getting a tuition increase next year. Simply due to what’s going on federally. I don’t know if there’s any way we can get around that. But I will say that next year for our state senate and leadership is our big year where they set the budget. So we do have the opportunity to go lobby our representatives to say, hey, can we keep the funding we already have if we can’t increase it?

Like, just don’t cut our funding. Like, don’t do that, please. Because that’ll help prevent tuition increases, if we can at least keep the funding we have.

I’ve always loved the challenge of medicine. I’ve always loved helping people, so I think that was just a natural fit. In some way, shape or form I was going into medicine. But I also love traveling and trying new food. I call food my love language, mostly by eating it. 

I’ve been to Germany. Canada was a lot of fun, too. I would love to go to Ireland and Scotland and see them, but I haven’t had the chance yet.

I think my background makes me unique in the fact that I don’t think a nursing student has ever run. I’ve been told that one has never been elected for student council president.

So (those in health care) we’re going to look at (you) individually and then go up from there. Like, what can we do to help you? Like, even if it’s just the littlest thing — what can I do to make your day better, your experience better?

Health care often tends to build on those little interactions, and I think that’s what I tend to do as a person as well. And I think that makes me an interesting candidate because I’m willing to sit down, have a conversation, and see where we can start.

What kind of change would I like to see on campus? I actually think we have a really good campus and a really good support system here. So I can’t think of anything in particular. I would ultimately like to help with food insecurity a bit more than we do, in whatever capacity that is, because I know the students ask for it quite a bit. But months down the line, I really haven’t thought that far ahead, but I tend to take everything as it comes and then go from there. 

So I think the biggest change I would hope to make would be providing more resources for food insecurity. And I know our ultimate long-term goal is to get a food pantry back on campus, but when that will be, who can say? The students think it’s a big priority, which means it’s a big priority for me 

I feel like most student body presidents are willing to take the time and talk to people, but I think even more so I know we used to do, not quite town halls, but, like, a big open forum, with, like, Q and A. I would love to do that with the students. Because, one, you’re getting perspective, and, two, they’re getting to meet you and know you. And I think that that ultimately makes us work better together.

I actually feel like we have a pretty good number of students wanting to get involved right now. Younger generations I actually feel like are willing to be uncomfortable and make the changes that they want to see. So I actually feel like we’re swinging back into where younger people are getting more involved. Being an intern is a great way to get involved. 

So I think we’re doing what we can, and I would need more information to really see how we can better do it. But it would ultimately be a group effort because it can’t be one person alone. 

Do students have misunderstandings about what goes on here? I would hope not.

When it comes to me, I’m just … I’m me. I see what needs to be done, and get it done because that’s how I was trained in health care. Like, if you see something that’s not right, fix it.

Don’t leave it because that’s ultimately going to create more problems. And so I think what people should understand about me is that if I see a problem, I’m going to do what I can to fix it. It might not all be within my power, but I’m going to sure as heck do my best and start the process of fixing it. 

—

Editor’s note: Edited and condensed for clarity and to give equal coverage to each candidate.