Following passionate speeches from two nominees, the University of Miami’s Student Senate elected Trinity Vodovoz as Speaker for the 2026-2027 academic year during its weekly general body meeting on March 18 in the Storm Surge Room next to the food court.
Vodovoz and Grady Knox ran for Speaker, each delivering a speech and answering questions from the Senate.
Knox, representing Lakeside Village and chairing University Affairs, emphasized the Senate’s impact on campus and noted her experience organizing several campus initiatives. Vodovoz, the current Junior Class Senator and Speaker Pro Tempore — the second-in-command of the Senate — was the highest-ranking member of the Senate running for Speaker.
She highlighted her long tenure in the Senate in different positions.
“I’ve been in the Senate for three years now,” Vodovoz said. “I’ve really enjoyed serving the school and hope to serve you as Speaker.”
She also recognized the lack of connection between the Senate and the Executive Branch.
Vodovoz proposed a Student Government-wide retreat to build bridges between the Senate and Executive branches for more efficient, thorough legislation.
She suggested inviting guest speakers from local government and business organizations and organizing more informal SG events.
Knox discussed helping others improve legislation through editing and clarified his proposed Senate initiatives.
“I think the process for pushing legislation through is limiting,” Knox said. “If I were to win, my focus would be to improve this process and the way we implement legislation on campus.”
In addition to his earlier points, Knox spoke about the need for Senators to interact more with the Executive Branch, suggesting scheduling informal time before committee meetings or around GBMs to build relationships and improve legislation and processes.
There was support for both nominees; Vodovoz’s experience and Knox’s strong leadership of the UA Committee were the main points raised during the discussion portion of the election process.
Ultimately, Vodovoz won the election and her term as Speaker will begin in the Fall 2026 semester.
The Miami Hurricane requested the vote count, but was told it could not be disclosed
“I’m excited to see what the Senate holds for the future,” Vodovoz said after the meeting. “It feels so rewarding to win the election because I’ve been in the Senate since my freshman year, and this will be a great way to celebrate my senior year.”