My name is Philip, and I come from Bulgaria, where – rather contrary to contemporary trends – I developed an interest in politics and the positive impact it can have on people’s lives, culminating in deciding on trade policies for the entire European Union in Brussels. This is perhaps a consequence of the system of my high school, which required us to take leadership roles in our communities, in and out of campus. Being a student at DKU continues to encourage such activities naturally, with a significantly more diverse body of people and interests to engage with. To that end, I have been lucky to be able to help both friends and acquaintances of friends through my current positions or informally on random afternoons. It was the feedback from these interactions with seemingly nigh-complete strangers as well as the encouragement from friends that persuaded me to apply for the Student Leaders Board. I think my previous experiences in student government, clubs, non-school activities, and internships have provided a strong background for voicing my peers to the respective figures of authority, empowering those I got chosen to help. One pressing issue I wish to work on is reducing the gap between Chinese and international students, which brings a high level of dissatisfaction to the college experience of many fellow students. Recently, I visited Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University, and what stood out to me was how every group of people consisted of both types of students. That provided a sense of community that made the greater XJTLU campus physically welcoming. To that end, I will be vigorously engaged in conversations with our students, fellow Board members, faculty, and senior leaders on how to solve the problem and match the strong academic side of DKU with strong and lasting relationships between people.