Cade Roy is no stranger to pursuing his dreams and goals. As the Student Government Association (SGA) President, Cade is focusing on creating an enhanced seamless experience for incoming students at the University of ֱ at Lafayette.
His decision to attend the University came naturally. “I chose to study at UL Lafayette because it felt like home. I had many family members come here before me, and every time I would visit campus as a high school student the environment was always welcoming and accommodating. [Also], the people and the culture, nothing beats Southwest ֱ.”
Subsequently, Cade’s interest and love for government led him to his major.
“I chose Political Science at UL Lafayette for a few reasons. The curriculum is very flexible in terms of what major-specific course you must take. But I chose Political Science more specifically, because I have always loved learning about how government works and why/how things are the way they are. I have always wanted to discover what policies work in tackling society’s biggest problems, and so this major felt like the best avenue to pursue that desire.”
Cade chose history as a minor because of its connection with political science and his passion for the subject.
Student Experience
Throughout his educational journey, he shared some of his favorite courses.
“Latin American and Caribbean Politics with Dr. Neil Williams – this class took us into a region I knew almost nothing about and the paper I wrote for that class is the same paper I ended up presenting at the in January of 2024," he said.
He added, "Political Philosophy: Tocqueville with Dr. Bryan-Paul Frost – learning the philosophy behind one of the greatest political philosophers was incredibly interesting and Dr. Frost can make any class fun and interesting... my final paper was nominated for the Crisler-Levine Best Paper in Political Science Award.”
Cade’s other favorite courses were Constitutional Law taught by Dr. Jason Maloy, World Military History taught by Dr. Andrew de la Garza, Principles of Microeconomics, Professional Ethics, and Spanish 101 and 201.
He plans to continue his education after obtaining his undergraduate degree.
“After I graduate, I plan to enter a Ph.D. program in either Political Science or Public Policy. From there I hope to do a variety of things including teaching at university, lobbying or consulting work, and hopefully writing and publishing my own book,” he said.
Working as Student Government Association President
Cade’s involvement in SGA began years ago.
“I have been involved in SGA since my sophomore year. Before that, I spoke at Student Convocation 2022. I started my first campus job at the Welcome Center on campus which I attribute to forming my entire college career and life since then. That job as a Student Ambassador exposed me to so many opportunities and people that made my journey possible.”
When asked what skillsets SGA has taught him, he shared that he has developed deeper critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and effective communication skills, which translates into the classroom and real world.
Cade is optimistic for the future of incoming and current students. He is also working hard towards those goals.
“As SGA President, I am working tirelessly on improving key services on campus to better the student experience for years to come. My two main missions are directly related to education: (1) extending the drop date with and without a W and (2) creating a University-run syllabus bank.
"These two ideas provide much-needed flexibility for students and give them the time and information to make the best academic decision for themself. My ultimate goal is to leave UL Lafayette better than I [found] it by creating something that lasts longer than my time as SGA President,” he said.
