Contact & Office Hour
For Questions, Feedback, or to Demonstrate Interest please send an email with the header [SUSTA Election Interest] to
- sustaboard2022@gmail.com
- Or send a message via Telegram to @Art3misd
Office Hour: TBA, please send us an email.
🤗 Overview
Apply to become SUSTA Executive!
The SUSTA Executive is a group of students from American colleges who strive to support the Ukrainian American student community. They do this through projects and activities. Annually, the student community votes to elect a new Executive for a term of one year through the Election according to SUSTA’s Constitution.
Teams running for the Election need at least 2 members and must propose a project they will execute during their term. Only 2 team members need to meet the Candidate Criteria.
Teams submit their project proposal via an application (deadline is May 15). Teams and projects ideas that meet selection criteria will present their ideas to be elected by the SUSTA Congress. If an application is disqualified, we will offer feedback for Teams to resubmit!
SUSTA Congress includes eligible Ukrainian American Student Organizations, and current SUSTA Executive and Board of Director members. Everyone in the Congress casts one vote. The team with the most votes from Congress will be the Executive for the 2024-2025 term!
🤔 How to get Elected?
💡 Step 0: Form a team of 2 or more people and formulate a project idea that your team wants to execute using SUSTA's resources to benefit Ukrainian American student community, diaspora, or Ukrainian nation.
We have very simple and reasonable criteria for Candidates and Projects, see criteria.
✍️ Step 1: Application – Submit Project Proposal
🎙️ Step 2: Presentation – Pitch Your Project to Congress
📅 Timeline
April 15th - May 15th: The Election Application opens on SUSTA’s website.
- Interested Teams connect with the Election Committee and meet for Q&A.
May 15th: Election Application closes.
May 1st - May 20th: All Qualified Teams can optionally attend one Pitch Practice Session with the Election Committee.
May 20th: The final list of Qualified Teams is announced to Voters (a.k.a. Congress Delegates).
Late May - Election Day: The Election is held virtually at an appropriate time, details TBA.
🦄 Benefits, Responsibilities, & Criteria
Executive Benefits
Resources for Project: • Monetary budget (only covers administrative expenses such as website or digital tools). • Utilization of existing SUSTA infrastructure (website, branding, social media, community contacts, alumni network, etc.)
Mentorship & Networking: • Mentorship from the Board of Directors and diaspora community. • Network with the Student Community, diaspora leaders, and Ukraine’s organizations and government agencies.
Additional Perks: • In-person retreat organized by the Board of Directors for bonding and training. • SUSTA’s name and legacy to do cool stuff (e.g., meeting Ukraine’s Ambassador and notable Historians).
Career-Advancing Experience: Leadership, entrepreneurship, nonprofit, and advocacy experience that benefits multiple career paths.🌟
Executive Responsibilities
Prioritize benefiting the Ukrainian American student community, followed by the Ukrainian American diaspora and the Ukrainian nation.
80% of time devoted to Flagship Project
20% of time goes to managing SUSTA
Candidate Team Criteria
- Fluency in English and working proficiency in Ukrainian.
Flagship Project Criteria
Benefit the Ukrainian American student community by directly benefitting students or student organizations. Or extensively involving Ukrainian American students in the Project, which should benefit the Ukrainian American diaspora or Ukrainian nation.
- The Project’s end goal or significant milestone must be achievable within one year term of the Executive.
- Must solve or improve a need or a problem, even if other organizations are already working on the same specific problem or goal.
- The Project’s goals and objectives must be within reach for the Executive Candidate Team and SUSTA.
- The Project can be at the idea stage or already in work.
- The Project should have no or minimal need for money, or teams will need to be ready to fundraise (SUSTA will soon become a registered nonprofit).
🥳 We are Elected, now what?
First, congrats!
Two, you are your boss. Well, almost.
In the June - August window, your team will meet the ex-SUSTA Executive and complete training on SUSTA’s practices, tools, and knowledge base.
You will also meet and mingle with the Board of Directors (BoD). If necessary, you will finalize your project plan with feedback from BoD and ex-executives.
Then, you execute your project!
