Harper student Pahul Mal was elected the new Student Trustee on April 14th following a three-day voting period open to all students.  Mal beat fellow candidates Mitchell Ryba and Adam Threlkeld and will serve for the 2021-2022 school year.

“I want to tell the Harper Student Body that they can count on me for every help a student would need,” Mal expressed. “I want to spread the word that I will be working closely with the new administration of Student Government and I want to assure all Harper Students that they can always come to me with anything.”

Coming from an Indian immigrant family, Mal is a freshman at Harper and studying computer science. The eighteen-year-old said he knew he wanted to be trustee early on since his siblings had served in leadership roles at Harper in previous years. His father and grandmother were also politicians in India and have had a great impact on him, Mal explained. 

“My brother Lavleen Mal was the Student Trustee of Harper College 2018-2019,” Mal explained. “I saw that impact he brought to Harper and I wanted to do the same and even better.”

Mal said he has a lot of new ideas and plans that he wants to put into effect as Student Trustee.  He wants to propose a free book voucher program, restructure tuition and fees, provide more grants and scholarships for students, and get more mental health counselors to help students with depression and anxiety-free of cost, on campus.

“I believe that students nowadays need more help than ever before,” Mal stated.” Students are anxious, depressed, and worried about a lot of things and if they can get help from their own school with all this it will be a great change.”

The Student Trustee plays an important role and serves as the voice of Harper’s student body. The position sits on Harper’s Board of Trustees and works with Harper’s Student Government. Traditionally, student trustees have made an impact not only on the operations of Harper, but also on board policies. Mal is succeeding Dylan Hildebrand who served the 2020-2021 school year. 

For more information or to reach out, follow @PAHUL4HARPER and @ HARPERSTUDENTINVOLVEMENT on Instagram.