Kishan Patel put his passion for dancing on pause to help student organizations get funding from Student Government.
Patel, a 20-year-old UF industrial and systems engineering sophomore, said he made the decision to quit GatoRaas, a UF dance group, because he wanted to serve the Student Body.
“I just like doing something that’s better for students,” he said.
At his high school, Patel was class president for three years. He said he knew coming into UF he wanted to play an active role in SG. During his first semester, he interviewed for a sophomore Senate seat with Swamp Party, but he wasn’t chosen. In the Spring, he successfully interviewed with Access Party and ran for a sophomore seat, which he won by four votes.
“When they started, I really loved what they were about,” he said, but things changed over the summer as Access established a presence in the Senate chamber. “I soon realized the way the leadership was moving. To me, it wasn’t for every Gator.”
As Patel completed his freshman year, he said he watched Access’ leadership become radical. During the Summer, he said he watched as Access senators argued for the sake of arguing and held agency head positions open for 105 days. But he said both parties were to blame.
“I blame it on both sides, but I think that was a lack of vision on the side of Access,” Patel said.
Last Spring, he became treasurer of the Indian Student Association, where he learned about the inner workings of how an organization’s budget was funded by SG. Patel was later elected to the Budget and Appropriations Committee during the Summer, where he said he’s learned about how the $21 million budget is allocated.
“I think that that experience is what will allow me to handle this money in the most effective and the most responsible way,” he said.
During the Fall, he said he wanted to help Access get back on track, so he became the party’s treasurer. But he said the conflicts continued, and Access no longer represented what he felt it stood for at the beginning.
“I blame that on the leadership of Access, and I did the best I could as the party treasurer,” he said.
After the Fall semester, he said he made the decision to run with Impact Party, which emerged that semester. Patel said he watched the new party make differences, creating the Mental Health Awareness Committee and the Diversity Outreach Committee.
“I think the Impact Party is really about tangible change. To me, they really get the job done,” he said.
Student Body Vice President Kevin Doan said he met Patel when they both campaigned for Access last Spring. And although Patel is a sophomore, Doan said Patel’s experiences and qualification make him a good candidate.
“I think what makes Kishan so successful is he’s always willing to learn,” he said. “He’s always one to ask questions and always think on how he can get better so he can ultimately better serve everyone else.”
Kishan Patel is a 20-year-old UF industrial and systems engineering sophomore running for Student Body treasurer with Impact Party.
Patel is currently a sophomore senator. He serves as the Indian Student Association treasurer and as a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee in SG. He was a member of GatoRaas Dance Team and is currently a resident assistant in Cypress Hall. He was also the Access Party treasurer.
Patel said he decided to run with Impact because he said Access Party was unable to compromise in Senate.
“I’m really moving toward tangible change for the students,” he said. “The Impact Party is all about tangible change.”
