What KUNA Means to the Candidates
By: Kaitlyn Buttrey
KUNA’s 2019 Residing Candidates were interviewed in preparation for this article. All of these candidates are inspiring, driven, and wonderfully unique. These are qualities that will forever be embedded into KUNA culture, in which we all aspire to have.
The main platforms for many of these candidates are important topics such as clean water, education, ending world hunger, and improving healthcare and equality. When speaking to Paige Sweeney she mentioned how growing up she felt as if she had no voice. Then, the older she got the more she realized there are so many people in this world who have less of a voice. Therefore, Sweeney’s main aspiration for this conference is to be a voice for the voiceless.
Esha Khan said that KUNA has really inspired her to strive for greatness not only through the Y, but also in her community and hopefully the world. This is why Khan wanted to run for Secretary General. Esha went as far as to say “My life purpose is to serve others.” The candidate later expanded on that when she said, “KUNA means the world to me. It is so much more than a conference it is the chance to inspire young students and help unlock their potential.”
When I interviewing Kaylan Brewer and asking her what KUNA meant to her, Brewer stated, “To me KUNA is a fun, safe environment that really helps encourage students to go beyond what they think they are capable of, to experience new things, and to meet amazing new people whom you keep in touch with for years to come.” Brewer’s answer closely coincided with Luke Dreas. In his interview Dreas told me, “I think KUNA means opportunity to me. It’s a great place to show collaboration and give students opportunities to better themselves.”
KUNA has a different meaning for every person you ask, even the candidates, but one thing that is sure to be evident in every answer is the amazing atmosphere of KUNA which encourages growth and opportunity. All of the candidates are truly amazing and have KUNA’s best interest in heart.
