Updated: March 25, 2019 at 7:09 p.m.

Year: Junior
Hometown: Cody, Wyo.
Major: International affairs, Spanish
Student organizations/activities: Residence Hall Association, GW Class Council
Previous student government experience: Student representative with Northwest College student government
Favorite GWorld spot: Tonic
Favorite off-campus spot: Lincoln Memorial
Dream job: Immigration attorney
Fun fact: I have six sisters.
Favorite place in the world: My mom’s house
Favorite movie: “The Iron Lady”
Role model: My mother and twin sister

Three months before Quentin McHoes arrived on campus for the first time, he sent emails to the Student Association’s top two leaders asking if there was an opening in the organization.

McHoes, who transferred to GW this academic year after spending two years at Northwest College in Wyoming, said student advocacy has always been one of his “greatest causes.” He was a member of Northwest College’s student association for a year before heading across the country to GW.

When he arrived on campus last fall, McHoes said he took on leadership roles in the Residence Hall Association and Class Council – organizations where he met his closest friends – but still wanted a role where he could affect the most policy changes.

So he decided to launch a bid for executive vice president of the SA.

“I had a lot of opportunities to write legislation that passed that was both effective and that was bold,” McHoes said of his prior experience in student government. “I think that it’s necessary to also articulate that I have the background necessary to step directly into this role and be ready on day one.”

McHoes said he plans to use his status as an SA outsider to his advantage by offering students and officials a fresh face to discuss initiatives and ideas.

“I do consider myself an outsider when it comes to our Student Association here, and I embrace that reality because I strongly believe that by being an outsider to our SA, I’ll be able to work with all students to be more effective and do more good for all of us,” he said.

At Northwest College, McHoes served as a leader in the Organization for Latin American and Hispanic Languages, the Northwest College honor society Phi Epsilon, the Native Ways Organization and the student government. In student government, McHoes said he championed a bill that required the student association to dedicate a seat for international students.

“International students were able to have a position reserved specifically for them that was fully capable of voting and participating in the student association like everyone else,” McHoes said.

When he first launched his campaign, McHoes said he began a “listening tour,” where he visited different academic buildings and places like the Marvin Center and District House to informally sit down and discuss different topics with students, like affordability concerns and a lack of community. He said his discussions gave him insight on the “good, the bad, the ugly” of GW.

McHoes’ platform focuses on affordability initiatives, namely goals to reduce or eliminate the cost of mental health assessments, psychiatric care appointments at the Colonial Health Center, printing and laundry. He said that while many of his platform points came from listening to students and student organizations, he is also personally affected by the high cost of living on campus because he comes from a low-income family.

McHoes also outlined goals in his platform to add more dining vendors to GWorld and expand the Top Textbooks program, which sets aside multiple copies of books in high-demand courses in the library.

“I genuinely believe that there is nothing wrong with GW that cannot be fixed by what’s right at GW,” he said. “Contrary to what it seems like in the status quo, we don’t have to look beyond our own student orgs, our own communities for the solutions to solve any of these problems.”

This post was updated to reflect the following correction:
The Hatchet incorrectly reported that McHoes served on the student government at Northwest College for two years. He served on the student government for one year. We regret this error.