WadeAnthony Burke
WadeAnthony Burke has officially become the new communications director of the Student Government Association. He is not your typical Junior here at SUNY Old Westbury. He has an interesting life story that has guided him to one of the top leadership roles in the Student Government Association.
Originally from Jamaica, Wade was adopted at the age of six to a family from Norwich, New York. Wade is a transfer student that started at Hardwick college where he took a leave of absence due to personal issues coupled with academic hardships. Searching for more structure in life, He was enlisted into the military where he served six years as a medic. Burke credits much of his expertise in life to his time in the military where he learned crucial values that made him the man he is today. Old Westbury is a place that Wade views as a second chance and has worked hard to maintain his 3.95 GPA.
When asked why he ran for the position, he replied “I want to have an impact on the community, I want to be much more than just someone who showed up to class and got good grades, I want to be able to say I did more than just your average person.” Burke is someone that welcomes a challenge. During his last two years in the military, he trained to be a Green Beret which is a special force group that is selectively chosen and put through rigorous physical and mental training. When the time came to choose to reenlist or finish his education, Burke chose SUNY Old Westbury because of the affordable education and the Politics Economics and law major that is offered here, which he views as a strength because of his military experience. Burke is an ambitious student that understands the value of hard work and is eager to implement that into his new position.
“As [a] Communications Director, I plan on normalizing the presence of the SGA, promote more opportunities for student interaction, and increase our social media impact.” Burke vocalizes that one of his main goals is to bridge the gap between the student body and the SGA. He understands that the SGA may be intimidating to some students and prioritizes eradicating this stigma.
When asked why the Old Westbury community should have faith in him, he answered, “I’m someone who takes myself very seriously, I have a unique perspective as someone who has accomplishments in the military and I have also built strong bonds with many faculty and fellow peers.”
