Life at Colby - Life at Colby - Colby College, Waterville, ME

President:
Leela DeSilva '26
New Haven, CT

Hi everyone! My name is Leela DeSilva (she/her) and I am double majoring in Biology and Classics hoping to go into medicine. On campus, I am part of the Pulver Science Scholars, Biology Club, and Professor Tariq’s Lab. Outside of Colby, I am part of Waterville Hospice Volunteers and am working with the Ocean Foundation to create scientific illustrations and do research! During my free time, I love to read, find new music, and draw. I am so excited for my fourth year on SGA and cannot wait to work with you all! Reach out at anytime!!

Email: [email protected]
Office hours:

Vice President:
Elian Joseph '26

Hi, I’m Elian! I’m your Student Body Vice President. I’m a senior majoring in Latin American Studies and Economics. I'm also a proud walk-on for the Colby Football Team and a member of IVCF. I love puzzle cubes, talking to people, and discussing movies & music. Above everything, I want to be a resource for as many people on campus as possible because I genuinely love Colby. Feel free to reach out if you have an SGA question, a personal question, or if you just wanna hang out!

Email: [email protected]
Office hours: Tuesday/Wednesday 1-2PM

Administrative Chair:
Elsa Mersha '27
Topsfield, MA

Hi! My name is Elsa Mersha (she/her) and I'm a junior from Topsfield Massachusetts. I'm majoring in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry and Cell/Molecular Biology and minoring in Data Science. Outside of student government, I work as a Tour Guide in Admissions and I am a Research Assistant in the Chemistry Department. I am also a member of the Ski and Snowboard Club and I have grown up skiing at Sugarloaf. I am very excited to continue my work in Student Government at Colby as the Administrative Chair. I am looking forward to working with the Colby community to build a more inclusive, welcoming, and understanding environment at Colby so please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns, or ideas!

Email: [email protected]
Office hours:

Parliamentarian:
Alfonso Ambriz '26
El Paso, TX

Hi folks! My name is Alfonso Ambriz; I'm a senior from El Paso, Texas. I'm glad to be your Parliamentarian this year! I am an Educational Studies and Government double major that's working on an honors thesis on second language learning tools. Outside of SGA, I'm the President of the QuestBridge club, treasurer of the Esports and Video game club, and work in both Mule Works and the Digital Archives as a technician. Outside of all of that, I'm often playing video games, cooking for my friend group, or taking trips around Maine. As Parliamentarian, I plan to bridge the gap between our institutions on campus like the Pugh Center, our administration, and you the students by restoring the voices often underrepresented. Thanks for having me, I look forward to serving you!

Email: [email protected]
Office hours: Monday 2:15-4:15PM

Community Engagement Chair:
Emma Ohnegian '27
New Jersey

I enjoy going to the beach, hanging out with my dogs, watching football, seeing new places whether it be towns, cities or countries, and trying new foods. I love flowers, marine animals, the color blue, the ocean, finding the moon in the sky at night, and sunsets. As the Chair of Community Engagement with SGA, I strive to organize events on and off-campus to get Colby's community more involved in the Waterville area. Also, I hope to work with our new Traditions Chair to aid in establishing and revamping traditions at Colby in order to make our student experiences more memorable and special. Looking forward to a great year! And, always available to hear students' feedback 🙂

Treasurer:
Saanvi Madduri '28
Bangalore, India

Hey! My name is Saanvi (she/her) and I'm a Presidential Scholar double majoring in Economics with a concentration in Financial Markets and Data Science. I love meeting people, traveling to new places, trying new food, playing with my dog, running, and literally anything outdoors! Outside of SGA, I'm an assistant at Human Resources and a Farnham Center writing tutor. I’m excited to be Treasurer this year and can’t wait to support all clubs and student ideas while bringing back Colby’s traditions and creating new ones together!!

Traditions Chair:
Caroline Eldredge '26
Lake Mary, Florida

Hey, I'm Caroline! I'm a Government major with a minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Outside of SGA, I'm the co-President of Club Tennis, a member on the Goldfarb Center's Student Advisory Board, a Sexual Violence Prevention peer leader, and in the Megs acappella group! I'm very passionate about campus life and culture and I try to involve myself wherever I can. As the Traditions chair, I hope to create more opportunities for community building and fun. I'll be relying on alumni networks and archives to revive old traditions while asking students what new traditions they'd like to see. Come find me on Wednesdays from 1-3. I can't wait to hear everyone's ideas.

Chair of Equity & Inclusion:
Clara Gayed '28
Alexandria, Egypt

I’m Clara and I’m your Equity and Inclusion Chair. I’m double majoring in Education (with a concentration in professional certification) and Theatre, and minoring in Music. Since coming to Colby, I’ve seen how much there is to gain from being part of this community, and I want to make sure everyone feels that same sense of support and possibility. If you have any concerns or ideas, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]

Communications Chair:
Lainie Stone '26
Houston, TX

Hey y'all! My name is Lainie and I am so excited to serve as the Communications Chair for SGA this year! I am a senior Posse Scholar and Pulver Science Scholar majoring in Earth Sciences (formerly Geology) from Houston, Texas. On campus, I work in the Planetary Materials lab under Dr. Dunn, am a Learning Assistant for Dr. Koffman, and am on the TEDxColby College board. Outside of school, I love crafting (needlepoint and collage are my favorite!), running, and Dr. Pepper! This year, I want SGA to be more interactive with the student body on social media and find fun ways to publicize our work and events! If you ever have any ideas to share with me, please email!

Email: [email protected]
Office hours: Mondays 11-12PM, Tuesdays 9-10AM

Documentarian:
Sumira Naroola '26

Hi 🙂 I’m Sumira! I am from San Jose, California and am a senior Computer Science and Economics major here at Colby! I love playing waterpolo, paint by numbers, and listening to my Discover Weekly. This is my second year on SGA Executive Board as Documentarian, and I’m super excited to bring back some needed school wide appreciation and documentation to our campus through memory videos, time capsules, and a formal digital yearbook at the end of the year. I’m always happy to chat so feel free to drop by during my office hours 🙂

Contact The SGA Office

SGA Office
Located in The Spa
Colby College
[email protected]

Executive Board

President:Leela DeSilva '26 New Haven, CT

Vice President:Elian Joseph '26

Administrative Chair:Elsa Mersha '27Topsfield, MA

Parliamentarian:Alfonso Ambriz '26El Paso, TX

Community Engagement Chair: Emma Ohnegian '27New Jersey

Treasurer: Saanvi Madduri '28Bangalore, India

Traditions Chair:Caroline Eldredge '26Lake Mary, Florida

Chair of Equity & Inclusion:Clara Gayed '28Alexandria, Egypt

Communications Chair:Lainie Stone '26Houston, TX

Documentarian:Sumira Naroola '26