Update as of Feb. 20: Brand New U has won the 2025 Student Government executive election. Ivana Liberatore has been selected as president-elect, Kylie Quintana as vice president-elect and Vic Wuyts as treasurer-elect for the 2025-2026 academic year.
This year’s executive seats of Student Government elections have been split between two tickets, Brand New U and Next Century Canes.
Brand New U, with presidential candidate Ivana Liberatore, vice presidential candidate Kylie Quintana, and treasurer candidate Victoire Wuyts is “committed to empowering students, expanding resources and making sure every voice is heard,” according to their Instagram account. Their campaign initiatives center around student empowerment, accessibility and innovation, including supporting Cane Card integration with Apple Wallet, improving campus infrastructure and expanding financial and professional opportunities for students.
“My journey in Student Government — from the First-Year Leadership Council to serving as assistant director of academic affairs and board of trustees undergraduate representative — has shown me the power of student voices,” said Brand New U presidential candidate Ivana Liberatore. “Running for president is about taking that advocacy to the next level.
Their key initiatives include a student leaders roundtable, where they hope to create a collaborative space for leaders from different organizations to share ideas, voice concerns and work on common goals. They would like to establish a Raising Cane’s location on campus and expand financial and professional opportunities for students. Their student services initiatives extend to providing free rides to the airport, supporting Cane Card integration with Apple Wallet, improving campus infrastructure and enhancing first-aid training for RAs.
“I believe in Brand New U because I know Ivana, Kylie and Victoire have characters that I can trust and the determination to do what’s best for our school,” said Nicholas Gavin, a freshman on the Brand New U campaign team. “I also appreciate their student body focused initiatives, especially professional development.”
Next Century Canes is made up of presidential candidate Isaac Jimenez and treasurer candidate Damian Gomez. According to their Instagram account, Next Century Canes is “about action: delivering results for [students].” Their proposed initiatives for the upcoming school year include increased funding for student organizations, increased student involvement and expanded opportunities for students. They also want to work to expand the dining hall hours, get discounts on transportation and offer more opportunities for students to become involved on campus and have their voice heard.
“It is important to me to listen to all students,” said Next Century Canes presidential candidate Isaac Jimenez. “We will make sure we do this by having town halls where students can speak and that will lead to action from our part to make sure we are addressing the needs of the students. I am running for Student Government president to represent and deliver results for all students.”
Next Century Canes’ key initiatives are strengthening campus safety and promoting graduate school and career opportunities. They also want to strengthen alumni relations so that current students can have access to mentorship and career opportunities from fellow ’Canes.
According to Chapter IV, Title 3, Section 9 of the Statues to the Constitution of the Student Government, “Candidates may withdraw at any point. Any candidacy withdrawn after the application deadline may not be reinstated.”
On Tuesday, Feb. 11, Next Century Canes’ vice presidential candidate Dominique Thomas, withdrew from the race and posted a statement to her social media explaining why.
“As the campaign has developed, it became clear that my vision and priorities for leadership do not fully align with the ticket I stood alongside,” Thomas said in the statement. “Rather than continue in a space where I cannot fully represent the values and initiatives most important to me, I believe it is best to step back at this time.”
Because of this, only one Vice Presidential candidate will appear on the ballot. The voter’s second option will be to abstain. A selection to abstain does not count towards the total vote.
Voting is open from Monday, Feb. 17, through Wednesday, Feb. 19 on Engage, and results will be posted at noon on Thursday, Feb. 20.
BRAND NEW U
Brand New U is made up of presidential candidate Ivana Liberatore, a junior majoring in finance and legal studies with a minor in political science, vice presidential candidate Kylie Quintana, a junior majoring in political science and psychology with minors in business law and law and politics and treasurer candidate Victoire Wuyts, a junior majoring in business analytics and legal studies. According to their Instagram account, Brand New U is “committed to empowering students, expanding resources and making sure every voice is heard.” Their main initiatives center around student empowerment, accessibility and innovation, including supporting Cane Card integration with Apple Wallet, improving campus infrastructure, and expanding financial and professional opportunities for students.
Ivana Liberatore – Candidate for President
Ivana Liberatore is a junior majoring in finance and legal studies with a minor in political science. As a presidential candidate, Liberatore “promises a commitment to a Brand New U, one that defines the next century of innovation, inclusivity and collaboration.” She originally joined Student Government on the First-Year Leadership Council as a freshman, then became the university registrar liaison for the Academic Liaison Council as a sophomore. She now serves as Student Government’s assistant director of academic affairs and as an undergraduate representative for the Board of Trustees Student Affairs Committee. She has also been part of Alpha Kappa Psi, Latina Project, Orientation Fellows, Student Managed Investment Fund, Association of Latino Professionals for America, Undergraduate Dean’s Advisory Council and Association of Commuter Students. In the next year, Liberatore wants to extend her efforts further than she ever has. “From my first day at UM, I have been driven by the idea that student leadership can truly shape the university experience. Running for president is about taking that advocacy to the next level.”
Kylie Quintana – Candidate for Vice President
Kylie Quintana is a junior majoring in political science and psychology with minors in business law and law and politics. She is “honored to present her candidacy for student government vice president” with Brand New U, where she wants to ensure “the next century of the U shines even brighter than the last.” At UM, she is a Presidential and Latina Project Scholar. On campus, she has served as an associate justice of the Student Government Supreme Court and led finances as vice president of internal finance for Alpha Kappa Psi, where she now serves as director of rituals. She volunteers at the Camner Center for Disability Services, serves as the community outreach chair for Girls of Outreach & Diversity and has logged over 200 hours at the Butler Center. For Quintana, becoming vice president would mean she could help foster the next generation of student leaders. “As vice president, I look forward to guiding the First Year Leadership Council as they begin shaping the first freshman class of UM’s next century, ensuring that the future of our university is built on innovation, inclusivity and purpose.”
Vic Wuyts – Candidate for Treasurer
Victoire Wuyts is a junior majoring in business analytics and legal studies. As a candidate for Student Government treasurer, “she is committed to strengthening the relationship between Student Government and SAFAC, increasing financial accessibility and ensuring equitable distribution of UM resources.” She is a Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee delegate, where she helped “allocate over $1.6 million across 306 student organizations.” She serves as vice president of internal finance for Alpha Kappa Psi, and she originally served as treasurer of Above the Bar, a pre-law organization, where she now is President. Additionally, she supports breast cancer awareness initiatives through Zeta Tau Alpha. She is also Foote Fellow mentor and Singer Scholar. For Wuyts, her first year as treasurer would be about making funding transparent, equitable and accessible for all. “Running for treasurer means ensuring that student organizations have the financial tools to grow, innovate and make a lasting impact on our campus.”
NEXT CENTURY CANES
Next Century Canes is made up of presidential candidate Isaac Jimenez, a junior majoring in political science on the pre-law track, and treasurer candidate Damian Gomez, a sophomore majoring in accounting and business with minors in business law and Spanish. According to their Instagram account, Next Century Canes is “about action: delivering results for [students].” Their big initiatives for the upcoming school year include increased funding for student organizations, increased student involvement and expanded opportunities for students. They also want to work to expand the dining hall hours, get discounts on transportation and offer more opportunities for students to become involved on campus and have their voice heard.
Isaac Jimenez – Candidate for President
Isaac Jimenez is a junior majoring in political science on the pre-law track. As a candidate for Student Government president, Jimenez is “excited to get to work” for the student body with the Next Century Canes ticket. He is dedicated to listening to students and having open communication, “including updates on what [he is] working on in the Student Government.” Jimenez currently serves as a Student Government senator for the College of Arts and Sciences, where he works on bills that help expand transportation options on campus, including one that will extend Freebee services to include weekends. He also serves on the Policy and Finance Committee, Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee and the University Affairs Committee. Jimenez hopes to prioritize making every student feel heard and represented in the next year if elected president. “I am running for Student Government president to represent and deliver results for all students … [My] experiences have prepared me to have a strong understanding of the needs that students have and a strong record of results that prove my ability to get things done for students.”
Damian Gomez – Candidate for Treasurer
Damian Gomez is a sophomore majoring in accounting and business with minors in business law and Spanish. As a treasurer candidate, Gomez is “ready to be a part of the team that leads the Next Century into continued success.” He serves as a delegate on the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee, treasurer of the Interfraternity Council and is the Business School liaison on the Academic Liaison Council branch of Student Government. He has experience “working with diverse individuals, communicating effectively, solving problems under pressure.” He has also “learned to balance different responsibilities, organize events and make decisions that benefit everyone.” He is confident that with the skills he has developed in his time at UM, he will succeed in leading the school’s finances if elected as treasurer. “Overall, the skills I’ve learned not only in my extracurriculars, but in class as an accounting and finance student, have equipped me with the necessary mindset to lead our school into the next centennial.”