New Year, New REC
It’s the beginning of June, which means your 2026-27 Representation Executive Council (REC) have finished the first month of their terms.
SAMRU’s Representation Executive Council (REC) is composed of four students, selected by the Student Governing Board (SGB) and elected by students to serve the interests of all SAMRU members.
Noel Ormita – SAMRU REC President, Mariana Mejia Salazar – SAMRU REC VP External
From dealing with issues on campus to government lobbying, REC is the frontline for all things student advocacy. If you’d like to learn more about what your REC team does, check out their page here.
But who are your elected student advocates this year and what inspired them to advocate on your behalf? Keep reading to learn about each member and what their role entails.
Meet your Representation Executive Council
SAMRU REC President
Noel Ormita
Program: Bachelor of Communications – Journalism
Noel campaigned on the message, “it’s time students win.” He is now committed to those words as SAMRU REC President, looking to improve everything from employment opportunities for students to gender-based violence awareness and prevention on campus.
But what exactly does the SAMRU REC President do? Presidential duties include leading the team and ensuring they follow organizational bylaws, strategic plans, and Student Governing Board decisions. Additionally, the President, sits on the SAMRU Student Governing Board as a non-voting member and a SAMRU delegate for Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) alongside the SAMRU REC VP External, as well as the General Faculties Council (GFC) and MRU’s Board of Governors.
You can read Noel’s full bio on the SAMRU website here.
SAMRU REC Vice President Academic
Julia Madden
Program: Bachelor of Arts – Sociology with a minor in Anthropology
Education is expensive. That’s why Julia ran — and was elected as your SAMRU REC VP Academic — to help make university more affordable through the creation and promotion of accessible educational materials for MRU students.
The SAMRU REC VP Academic is the front line for student-friendly academic advocacy, sitting in MRU councils, voicing and ensuring student perspective is heard and accounted for in the creation of policies which will directly impact you. In addition, the SAMRU REC VP Academic sits on the General Faculties Council (GFC) and manages volunteers of the Representation Executive Advisory Committee (REAC), students just like you who sit on various MRU committees.
You can read Julia’s full bio on the SAMRU website here.
SAMRU REC Vice President External
Mariana Mejia Salazar
Program: Bachelor of Arts – Sociology with a minor in Women and Gender Studies
After a lauded year of external advocacy on behalf of students to all three levels of government, Mariana has been re-elected once again to serve as SAMRU REC VP External.
The SAMRU REC VP External is responsible for leading external representation, advocacy, and media facilitation to support member-supportive public policies at local, provincial, and federal levels. The SAMRU REC VP External, along with the President, also serve as delegates of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), a national advocacy organization who further post-secondary interests and highlight student issues to the federal government.
You can read Mariana’s full bio on the SAMRU website here.
SAMRU REC Vice President Student Affairs
Liv Lopez
Program: Bachelor of Communications, Public Relations
Running a successful platform on transparency and addressing the systemic barriers impeding students’ success, Liv will serve as your frontline for MRU administration and governance as your SAMRU REC VP Student Affairs.
What does a year of Student Affairs advocacy entail? The SAMRU REC Vice President Student Affairs is responsible for providing non-academic representation and advocacy. This includes development of member-supportive non-academic policies, such as EDI and support services. The SAMRU REC VP Student Affairs and VP Academic also collaborate to manage volunteers of the Representation Executive Advisory Committee (REAC) and sits on MRU’s Board of Governors.
You can read Liv’s full bio on the SAMRU website here.
Don’t be a stranger. Reach out to your elected representatives today!
Looking to get a hold of your elected representatives? The easiest way to get in contact is through representation@samru.ca.
Here, you can outline your issues, feedback or complements and receive a direct response from the elected representative who can assist you best!
Additionally, this email is best way to reach out to the REC team if you want to book a meeting or an interview — so reach out!
Each day of REC’s terms is filled with advocacy and representation. If you want to stay on top of what your elected representatives are doing for you, be sure to follow the @samru.rec Instagram.
Looking for an opportunity to get directly involved with your REC team? This summer, REC will be filling student volunteer roles on the Representation Executive Advisory Committee (REAC) to help with their advocacy efforts. These are some of the best opportunities around to get involved with your elected representatives and help improve campus life. Stay tuned to the @samru.rec Instagram page to hear about each position and sign up to be notified when positions go live.
