By Lindsay Belichesky
Yuval Cohen has been involved in student leadership organizations since she was in middle school. This spring, she finishes up her final year at UC Santa Barbara as President of Associated Students, the student government. As the year winds down, Cohen says she has learned many lessons about the power of influence and leadership.
From the moment she was sworn in, Cohen knew how much work this job would entail. She feels that every project is for the students, which is what makes her job so meaningful to her. Serving the student body by taking on additional tasks and working more than 30 hour weeks —on top of being a full-time student —is how she gives back to her campus community.
Cohen, 21, double majored in Philosophy and Political Science. She sat down for an interview recently about her background in student leadership, how her majors have influenced her time as AS President, and the lessons she has learned that will follow her into her chosen future career in law.
Yuval Cohen, outgoing UCSB Associated Students President, in an interview with journalism student Lindsay Belichesky, discussing what she is taking away from her time serving the student body.
Where and when did your interest in student leadership begin?
My interest in student leadership actually began in elementary school. I was always a very vocal kid and so I ran for class president. I didn’t win, but that did not stop me from applying again in middle school. It took three years for me to get into the student council at my middle school.
My teacher always tells the story of how I never gave up and I ended up being one of his most hardworking students. From then on, I kept being involved in student government because of how much I enjoyed it, all the way to college.
Tell me more about how you came to major in both political science and philosophy?
UCSB Associated Students President Yuval Cohen. Cohen says she has learned many lessons about the power of influence and leadership in her time as student president.
Government has always fascinated me and I applied to most colleges with this major.
I also knew I wanted to double major and my freshman year I took a really interesting philosophy class. It was between doubling in philosophy or Middle East Studies but I really didn’t like taking Arabic over Zoom, and that was required for the Middle East Studies major.
The study of philosophy, with an emphasis on public policy and ethics, intertwined perfectly with political science.
Have there been any moments in a course that have stuck with you and influenced any leadership decisions you have made?
There are a lot of moments in class where I get to learn more about other students and what they want to see at UCSB. During the height of the pandemic, I got to hear from students when we were in breakout rooms about what resources they are in need of or what policies they want UCSB to follow. This helps me because I know what to advocate for and how to help them. Listening to the student body is the most important part of my job and getting to hear from them during courses is crucial.
Do you see any connections between coursework content and real-life situations that you have found yourself in?
Right now, I am taking an independent study course with my advisor called Politics in the UC. I get to learn more about how the UC system works and how it all began. It is really interesting because I love applying history to the work I do. I love knowing what worked and what didn’t work and the people behind the magic.
Applying things I learned from this class to my role as president has been very efficient and effective because it has allowed me to think ahead as well. I know what I want to pass down to the next president and the things that were important for me to know beforehand.
What does a normal weekday look like for you, balancing student government responsibilities and coursework?
A normal weekday is very busy for me. I usually have a lot of unexpected things come up in terms of AS responsibilities, so I have to be ready to juggle it all at a moment’s notice. I have learned how to prioritize really well because of this.
Outgoing UCSB Associated Students President Yuval Cohen working in her campus office.
Sometimes, school can take a backseat in my life if I have a heavy workload in AS. But I really try to stay on top of it all. I made my schedule so that Mondays and Wednesdays are the only days I have class. That way I can try to schedule my meetings on the other days of the week and I won’t have to miss class.
What lessons have learned here at UCSB that you think have prepared you for your future career as a lawyer?
I have learned a lot about how to manage my time. I have also learned how to be organized, responsible, and prepared. But most importantly I have learned how to think on my feet. I know how to communicate to faculty, professors, administration, and a lot of people that the average student can go their whole time at UCSB without ever meeting.
My role has placed me in a unique position and has prepared me for real-life situations. I am usually the youngest in the room, and I know once I am out in the real world that will be the case for a while since I will be fresh out of college.
What are your plans for after your graduation this June?
After graduation, I will be going to Washington, D.C. with UCDC’s summer internship program. I am hoping to intern with an organization that focuses on international relations. After that, I want to go to grad school and continue my education in political science, still emphasizing international relations.
Lindsay Belichesky is a third-year student majoring in Communication. She conducted this interview for her Writing Program course Digital Journalism.