Finalist
Tasha Phipps
Miami-Dade Community College-North
Sophomore in Political Science
3.71 GPA
     For Tasha Phipps, no realistic goal is unattainable. "I’ve always liked being involved," says Phipps, who beat out three other candidates for the Student Government Association presidency despite having no prior experience in the group. "It was just taking the initiative if I saw something that needed to be done on campus. You got such a reward after you did it. Someone would say thanks or you would get a hug. It was just the little things, but they meant a lot. I just kept doing it."
     After a friend convinced Phipps to attend a SGA meeting about officer elections, the 20-year-old began polling her peers to learn their concerns. "I started asking students, ‘What would you like to see on campus?’" she says. "I did a lot of homework to get a consensus of what was going on." Phipps also spoke to SGA leaders, faculty members, and administrators to find out more about the school’s history and to get their perspective on the future. "It wasn’t that I wanted to have the highest position. Based on the duties, it was a challenge that I wanted to take on, and I just went for it."
     During a month of campaigning, Phipps continued to reach out to North Campus’ 15,000 students by handing out flyers, chatting in the hallways, and speaking to classes and campus organizations. "I’m a people person," she says. "I love socializing. At first it was a little hard for me, because the candidate I went against knew everyone. So, everywhere I went, I would shake someone’s hand. Because I had done my research, the students respected what I said and would say, ‘This girl knows what she’s talking about.’ They knew I was concerned about the students."
     The election turned out to be one for the record books. "It was the biggest one we had in years—we had 400 students come out," says Phipps, who ran to a pay phone to call her mother, her greatest influence, immediately after she won. "That was the happiest moment. I was totally surprised. It was an amazing feeling. It was so competitive—neck and neck through the whole thing, and I was the underdog."
     Because Phipps’ researched her platform goals, she’s been able to deliver on her campaign promises. "I didn’t do what other opponents did, which was promise things they could not follow through with," she says. Among her administration’s accomplishments is the revival of the "Heritage Tour," a program that provides transportation for African-American students who are interested in visiting historically black colleges and universities. "We’re bringing it back as a club," Phipps says. "They’ll start raising money in the fall and then take the trip next spring. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to come back and see it."
     Another achievement for Phipps and her team is strengthening communication between students and administrators through organizational forums and town meetings. "I wanted the students to be aware of information," she says. "That was something really lacking on my campus." So, Phipps brought in the campus president, the dean of students, and club advisors to answer questions and address concerns. "I wanted students to be able to come to a meeting and ask anything, because a lot of them don’t know why certain policies are implemented." Phipps planned another open forum especially for MDCC’s international students to discuss visas, citizenship, financial aid, housing, and employment. "We have a large group of international students, and I wanted to bridge that communication gap. A lot of students benefited from that."
     In the political arena, Phipps spoke at a political rally for Sen. Joe Lieberman and organized voter-registration drives last fall. She also helped recruit students for "March on Tallahassee," a peaceful demonstration to encourage the governor to revisit his decisions concerning affirmative action. In addition, Phipps serves on several MDCC committees including college academic and student services, the annual job fair, and African-American history month, as well as the Student Advisory Council and the MDCC Board of Trustees.
     To give back to the community, Phipps has volunteered with Farm Share, Special Olympics, and the United Way. She also is an ambassador for MDCC’s Center for Community Involvement and a speaker for Girls Educated and Motivated for Success (GEMS), a local high school group. "I come to their meetings, and I share my story," Phipps says. "During high school, I wasn’t a straight-A student. I was average." But when a U.S. history teacher challenged Phipps and her classmates by giving them all A’s at the beginning of the term, she became determined to ace the course. "It wasn’t like you had to earn an A, you just had to keep it," she says. Even when severe anemia forced Phipps to miss school, she continued to have her mom pick up her work for her to complete, despite doctors recommending that Phipps withdraw until she had recovered. "It was hard catching up," Phipps recalls. "I was behind the other students." At the end of the semester though, Phipps had earned a perfect A. "The teacher told me, ‘You’re an honors student. You have taken on that challenge, and I see the potential in you,’" What he saw was always there, I just did not see it." The next year, Phipps took honors courses and won a full MDCC scholarship, where she’s an honors student and an enhanced member of Phi Theta Kappa. Phipps plans to become a professor and eventually a college administrator—perhaps even president. "I really love the idea of shaping young minds and inspiring students," says Phipps, who pays for school with a combination of scholarships, aid, and a part-time job as a receptionist for MDCC’s School of Business.
     When she’s making decisions, Phipps says she relies on feedback from her e-board members, as well as her advisor and the rest of the campus community. "I try to make sure that whatever I’m doing, I’m serving them," she says. "When I have a problem, I go to my e-board. It’s a small census. I don’t believe one head is enough. I try to get ideas from everyone concerned."
     SGA Advisor Zulema Miller credits Phipps with boosting participation in SGA, nurturing a strong working relationship with faculty and administrators, and closely monitoring student needs. "She’s the kind of person who goes above and beyond, that takes on the issues of the people they lead and do it without any sort of recognition," Miller says. "She’s SGA president because of the students—she serves very unselfishly."
     Another professor who’s close to Phipps compares her to "glue and gold." "She holds things together, but is precious in almost any setting you put her," says Michael Lannigan, Model UN advisor. "She really is what she seems to be. She’s a wonderful mix of scholar, does wonderful academic work, but she’s also a real natural leader."
     Dr. Armando Ferrer, North Campus dean of students, says Phipps "raises questions that allow us to look at things from a different perspective—she’s a change agent."
     To motivate members, Phipps says she starts by showing her own enthusiasm. "I don’t go into a meeting looking sad or tired. I really go in there and lead by example." She also uses public recognition, handwritten notes, and incentives such as refreshments to keep her staff hyped up about a project. "I also try to get them to remember why we’re doing this." For example, after a clothing drive, Phipps took her co-workers with her to deliver the donation. " They saw all these people smiling and thanking them. People like to hear that and be rewarded for what they’ve done."
Contact phipps00@hotmail.com.