Rushi Jain

Hey! My name is Rushi Jain and I’m a freshman. I'm from Clarksburg, MD in Montgomery County. I’m a double major in Psychology and Criminology & Criminal Justice with a hopeful minor in Creative Writing. I love doing a little bit of everything; here at Maryland I’m on the Mock Trial team, a part of the Asian American Student Union, and a part of a theater group called Ghostlight. Being creative is a big part of who I am: I’m a reader, a writer, a dancer, and a very proud theater kid (techie!). I’m also just a huge consumer of media (shows, books, music, anything really). So if you’ve got a Percy Jackson theory or an Avatar the Last Airbender hot take I’m your girl! If you see me I will almost always be with my lovely, incredible, best-in-the world digicam who I love so very much (I genuinely take that thing everywhere with me, it’s my child). I’m so excited to keep meeting new people as the year goes on and getting to know all of you!

I’ve only been in DCC a short time, but I am already in love with the people and the community. I love what DCC stands for and who we are: an incredibly diverse community studying disciplines from various schools. I want to be on DCC StuCo as a culmination of my love for this program. I met my roommate through DCC, I’ve met some incredible people since we’ve started, and so I am acutely aware of the community this program is able to and will curate. It’s a process I want to be a part of, planning events, helping organize the program, and more.

Aside from my clear love for DCC, I’ve been planning events and leading groups for years. In highschool as one of the Board members for my theater programs and the producer for our annual One Acts festivals I’ve worked to manage huge groups of people and organize incredibly successful events. Our club had nearly 300 members and we organized shows that received audiences of over 700 people. Through these events I’ve worked at every step of the process: from planning and organizing to advertising and leading. As president of my South Asian Student Association I planned school wide events, spearheading a new tradition for an annual Cultural Fair that’s been running for the past four years . I have experience not only planning events, but planning events that have longevity; experiences that become fundamental to a program – things people become excited for when they hear our name. As a member of StuCo I want to bring that to DCC.

I hope you all will consider me as one of your freshman StuCo representatives, but regardless I’m thrilled to be here and with you all for the next two years!

Andy Long

Andy Long is an amazing, super smart, charismatic, and extremely humble person! …is what I would say if I was lying to you 😉 . In all seriousness, though, I try to be an outgoing and approachable person who can be friends with everyone. Some of my interests include: reading, video games, breakdancing (starting as of last week), and camping/hiking. Also, I basically live in Prince Frederick’s 2nd floor lounge. Odds are you will see me there any time I don’t have class or club activities, so feel free to say hi or wave through the window!

I want to use feedback from everyone in DCC to organize fun events where everyone in DCC can enjoy themselves and make new friends.

Noah Petroski

I am a freshman in the Immersive Media Design major on the computing track, combining my two interests of art (specifically digital art) and computer science/coding. Outside of school, I enjoy running and am part of the club running team, but I also like to play guitar and hang out with my friends. I really enjoy experimenting with different materials in the projects that I create and I enjoy learning new skills!

I am running for DCC StuCo because I want to be more involved in DCC and come up with fun events that bring everyone in the program together! I have previous experience planning creative and fun events as president of my high school's National Art Honor Society, and as captain of the cross country, track, and mural teams at my school. As part of the council, I feel like I can be a good voice for all students and take into consideration the different needs and ideas that everyone has. I also hope to help plan events that teach everyone new skills and help us get to know each other better!

Xael Shan

Hi! My name is Xael Shan and I’m a freshman in DCC majoring in computer science and Immersive Media Design. I’m an advanced artist who likes to dabble in all fine arts fields. I’ve also played piano for 11 years and danced for 12. I was the cofounder and visual director for my high school Literature Magazine Club, and Vice President for National Honors Society. All in all, I’m helplessly in love with art and design!

I joined DCC because I wanted a space to explore creativity and design. DCC provides the resources, workshops, and guidance to allow me to achieve that. I want to be able to bring my ideas about DCC installations, new workshop topics, and group projects/events to the board. Being in StuCo would not only allow me to bring up these topics, but help direct them with feedback from the community.

I hope that not only my previous leadership and event organization experience is not taken into account, but also my passion for design and art. Creativity, design, humanities, and the arts are often underappreciated in todays’ society;  I hope that by joining StuCo, I can create a safe space to explore.

Reut Skromne

Hey! My name is Reut Skromne, and I am a Mexican-American freshman studying Cell Bio and Genetics on the Pre-Med track. Originally from Montgomery County, MD, I have three younger brothers and no pets, although I fostered 12 dogs during Covid. In my nonexistent free time (kudos to gen chem 🤪) I enjoy working on graphic design projects, swimming laps, and strategizing my way to victory in Settlers of Catan. In high school I was actively involved in the Biomedical club (which I founded!), grade government, and my school’s science journal among other things. Two extremely unrelated fun facts: 1. I lived in South America. 2. I've had frostbite 🥶. I am excited to use the skills that I have acquired to make a difference in StuCo, bringing more fun activities to P Freddy!

College can be rigorous, stressful, and time-consuming, but with engaging activities that foster one on one interpersonal relationships, the experience becomes more rewarding and manageable. That’s exactly why I’m running to be a DCC Ambassador in StuCo! Although our floors are separated by program, we are one united community, and I want to ensure that everyone is connecting and building meaningful relationships. Just as I did when I served as vice president of my grade for all four years of high school, I aim to serve as a liaison between the Honors College and other student organizations, establishing new initiatives that promote collaboration and engagement. As a freshman, I’m eager to bring fresh ideas, using my past experiences as a foundation to help create a stronger, more inclusive community for Honors students across all disciplines.

Sonia Thanicatt

Hi! I'm Sonia and I'm double majoring in theatre and chemistry. In high school I was president of my school's drama club along with being in marching band, soccer and literally almost any club I could get my hands on. I love roller skating, ice skating, games (video and board), singing, dancing, drums, and anything that lets me be expressive. If I'm not out doing something (unlikely), I can usually be found in the 2nd floor lounge despite living on the 3rd floor. <3

please click here to view Sonia's candidacy video!

I'm running because I really like the community here, and I want to be a part of making it fun, plus I really want to get to know everyone. I also just really like hosting silly little activities and would love to do it for DCC! :] (Please let me run a Just Dance night. Please.)

Graciela (Gray) Walters

I am a Freshman aspiring Immersive Media Design major. I enjoy art of all kinds, computer science, video games (especially platformers), baking, and meeting new people! I want to be involved in student council because I think that it would be a fun way to get involved with my community and get to know more people. I am passionate about accessibility and ensuring that there are events that are fun for everyone in the community. 

I want to run because I enjoy organizing events, leading, and getting involved in my community! I was the vice president of my school’s GSA and held a leadership position in my school theater.