Dragon Talk: Podcast Transcripts
A Last Word from the 2025/26 SGA
Wednesday, September 30, 2026Intro
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TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
In the year 1970, Theodore Roosevelt embarked on a trip around Europe, giving speeches, shaking hands, and kissing babies. On April 23, 1910, he stood in Paris and gave a speech entitled, "Citizenship in a Republic." Today, we call this speech "The Man in the Arena."
SPEAKER:
It is not the critic who counts.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
This was not a speech about presidents.
SPEAKER:
Not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
This was not a speech about governors.
SPEAKER:
The credit belongs to the man who was actually in the arena, whose face is marred by sweat and dust and blood.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
This was not a speech about generals.
SPEAKER:
Who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
This was a speech about leaders of all levels.
SPEAKER:
But who does actually strive to do the deeds? Who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions? Who spends himself in a worthy cause?
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
The thought leaders, leaders of organizations, of cities, states, and countries. And as we are about to speak about, student leaders.
SPEAKER:
Who at the best knows, in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
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TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
Every year, a group of students at Howard community college are elected by their peers to serve on the Student Government Association. These students end up pouring hundreds of hours over the course of the school year, each hour dedicated to helping their fellow students. This group embodies the spirit of President Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" speech.
Today on "Dragontalk," we have three out of four members of the 2025-2026 Student Government Association returned to the show after a year of service. This year's group is special, and they are unlike many that have come before. The team of four women have embodied over the course of this year the excellence within diversity at Howard Community College. I am your host for today, Timilehin Daramola, and I am proud to present to you all a conversation with the SGA.
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CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
Hi, I'm Christione Johnson, this is my second year at HCC, and I'm the president of the SGA.
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
Hi, everyone. My name is Maryam Abdurrahman. I am the vice president of SGA, and I've been here for two years, three if you count dual enrollment.
NADIA BAYIGA:
Hi, everyone. My name is Nadia, and I'm the secretary and treasurer for the Student Government Association. This is my second year at HCC, and I'll be transferring after next semester. Yeah, I'm the one who handles the events and keeps things running in the SGA.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
And very briefly, could we go a bit deeper into your roles? What does the president, what does the vice president actually do?
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
Sure, so as far as being the SGA president, if there's ever a need for a student government representative in administrative spaces, I will be the first one who is asked to go to these things. I'm also the one who will speak at most of our events. And I will lead our meetings within the group to make sure that everybody is doing everything that they need to carry the SGA, which they do.
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
Yeah, the vice president essentially fills in the role of president wherever the president can't really be. I haven't had to do that at all this year, because Chris has been there at every single event and has done an amazing job. The vice president actually runs Student Senate as well, which is a team that focuses on specific areas of campus and Student Life to make them better for the whole student experience.
NADIA BAYIGA:
As a secretary and treasurer, I book rooms for the events. I order food. I take notes during the meetings. And I also manage the SGA budget.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
OK, and what are some misconceptions about what you guys do, your different roles? What are things that students think you do that you actually have no power to do?
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
For president, I think people think that I do everything, especially some people think I do everything in Student Life, but I truly just lead Student Government Association, which is one of our organizations. And then also, I'm completely carried by my team. We just lead students to the resources that they'll need on campus, and we do what we can to make the changes that they ask for.
But as a one year, more like nine-month organization at a two-year college, we don't really have the power to make a lot of the major changes that people will ask of us at times.
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
It's a matter of connecting students to the resources that they don't necessarily know that we have. So we do a lot of that bridging the gap between students and resources or bridging the gap between students and administration. I will say, yeah, some students think we have more power than we actually do. But besides that, I think students have a good idea of what SGA does and the fact that we're supposed to be advocates and representatives of the student body.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
So I know at the beginning of the year, you guys did a podcast with us. How has your perspective of your job changed since then? What were things now that you didn't know at the beginning of the school year?
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
That it's hard to get students involved at a two-year college. You go into the job with all of these grand expectations of the things that you'll do and the things that students will be interested in and what your events will look like. And then you have events during the year where there are two students in the room. And you have to make sure that you're performing to the best of your ability for those two people in the room.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
For Maryam, how has SGA changed between last year and this year? How has the role as the vice president changed under you?
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
I don't think the vice president position has changed too much. The vice president position has always been a position where it's a little bit flexible, in that you're meant to support every single one of your teammates where they need to be supported. So, for example, I've helped out in the club liaison with reservations. I've helped Nadia out. I've helped Chris out with communications to certain people.
It's a very flexible role. I think maybe that's something I didn't know at the beginning, simply because I wasn't in that position last year.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
And what was your position on SGA last year?
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
I was a club liaison last year.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
And since our current club liaison couldn't make it, could you give us some more insight into what that position is?
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
The club liaison has possibly the most difficult, perhaps not difficult, but the most time-consuming role on the entire team. The club liaison manages every single club at Howard Community College. It includes a lot of things that I can't even put into words because the amount of work behind it is just-- it's insane. But you essentially manage every single event. You coordinate the logistics and you talk to the right people. You get the food, you reserve the rooms.
You have to train people before they can be club officers. It's a very time-consuming position, but it's also a very fulfilling one.
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
And to put that into perspective, it's like our secretary for maybe two or three of our events per month will reserve a room and order the food and submit the promotion request. But for the club liaison, it's that times five, because however many clubs we have and however many events they want to put on, she has to reserve a room. She has to do marketing requests. She has to talk with them about ordering their food and actually sit with them and make the order because the money is coming from the SGA account. So it truly is an insane amount of work that she's doing constantly.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
So what would you tell club leaders about interacting with the club liaison? Do you think club leaders are educated on how they should approach things? Do you think there should be kind of a change in how they do things?
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
I would tell club leaders to just generally have grace and just be aware of what you do, and be aware that there's a human being that's taking in this information and these requests from not just you, but from about 15 other people all at the same time.
NADIA BAYIGA:
When a club comes into place, the club leaders go through training and they know what to do, what not to do, how to put in requests in advance. So maybe if you forget, you can always go back to that training, or first make consultations and see that, is this time appropriate for me to put my event? Because the club liaison, like Maryam said, they go through a lot, they have a lot on their plate. So it's better to ask maybe before having the event in place.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
And I know beyond the executive team, as you mentioned, there is the Student Senate. Could you tell us a little bit about the Student Senate and what they do?
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
Yeah, so this year, the Student Senate focused a lot on getting feedback from different areas of campus, different departments, sometimes specific to the different resources that we have. This year was very feedback based. But the Student Senate team essentially serves to better different aspects of the student experience.
That could look like improving the athletics department. That could look like improving food service. So maybe you're sick of the vending machines in KC taking your money and not giving you what you asked for. That's something that a Senator would help with.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
How has being a member of SGA helped you guys grow as leaders or as people in general?
NADIA BAYIGA:
For me personally, it has shown me that being a leader means putting people that you serve first before yourself. And it's OK to actually make mistakes. Yeah. And teamwork is really essential as well.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
Go teamwork.
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
Yes, go team. I think delegation was a big thing. We talked about it in actually our leadership training, but it seemed so difficult, I guess, at the time of training, and even was difficult in the role. Letting go of things that you feel like are your responsibility when you know that you need help with them is difficult because you feel like you're not doing your part or you're letting people down.
But it's like, when you do have a good team, like Nadia was saying, people are not judging you or making your mistakes or needing your time or even just needing help. So yeah, just leaving things to your team and trusting that they'll execute and get things done because they always have.
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
I would say just being on SGA at all teaches you that you're-- it feels like you're part of something bigger in a way. It also teaches you that you have to constantly be putting yourself in other people's shoes. There's a level of empathy, I would say, that you need to have, but also a level of empathy that you gain throughout.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
If you all could sit down with the people who will be in your positions next year, what is some advice you'll give them going into the new school year?
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
Don't put out a list of 15 different things that you want to accomplish, because you're still a student and you still have only 15 hours a week to get it done. And at the end of the day, you're not going to get everything done. So don't judge your worth by how many of those things you checked off the list.
NADIA BAYIGA:
Personally, I'd say like just be authentic and, whatever you do, give yourself some grace too. And remember, you're always a student first before you're a student leader. So yeah.
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
Nadia stole my answer.
NADIA BAYIGA:
I'm sorry.
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
I think all of us in Student Life let Student Life get a little bit out of hand in our lives, and we end up in the office until 8:00 PM working on events for next week when it's-- you only get paid for 15 hours a week. And not that you shouldn't work past what you're getting paid for, but you have a life and you have classes, and you have friends, and you have family, and most of us have second jobs.
So it's really being conscious of how much of yourself you're giving to your position in SGA, but also knowing that regardless of how many events you put on or what happened during the year, students are going to remember that they waved to you in the Galleria and you said hi to them with a smile.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
This year's Student Life as a whole is made up entirely of women. And not just that it's been made up majority of women of color and immigrant women. So how has that been amidst everything going on in the world? How has it felt to work with a team of competent women by your side? And how does that feel for you guys?
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
It's great.
NADIA BAYIGA:
Empowering.
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
I mean, I loved our team this year. I think we all share similar experiences just based off of the fact that we're women of color. And that helps with, I guess, just everyone supports each other. Everyone knows what-- on a deeper level, everyone knows how you feel when you see that one thing on the news. It's just very basic, but it's like everyone kind of feels for each other at the same time.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
Chris, could you go a bit more in depth on the other organizations within Student Life?
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
Sure. So we have three, right? It's just the three. We have three organizations in Student Life. We have the Student Program Board, the HCC Times, and then us, the Student Government Association. The Student Program Board plans our more recreational events at the campus. Whereas if SGA puts on event, it's usually for academic or professional development. If the Student Program Board does an event, it's just for fun and games and for everybody to relax and have a good time.
And then we have HCC Times, which is our newspaper. And we have different students involved in writing articles for them. And our coordinators put together the website and make sure that it looks pretty and that there's pictures to go along with the articles. And they operate that entire organization.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
Would you guys tell us a little bit about your leaders, the staff, full-time staff who work here and serve as your leaders over the past year?
NADIA BAYIGA:
Let me start with my very own Miss Aisha. She has been more like a safe space to me, very understanding. And she has made doing SGA work really flexible. And she's always there. She's always come through in every situation. Clint, Ms. Thelma, Ms. Bri, whenever like Ms. Aisha wasn't there or I needed something, I knew I could go to them and they'll always be there to support. So they've all been good. And shout out to them. I'm going to miss him so much. Yeah.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
For students who don't know what does Student Life as a whole offer to the student body.
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
I think Student Life, some students feel a little bit hesitant about walking in. But essentially all we're there to do is to improve the student life experience. So connecting you with resources, helping you find housing, letting you go to the aquarium in Baltimore for free.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
For free.
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
For free. Yeah. A lot of resources, we just seek to make sure students are supported, whether that's with an event, whether that's with connecting you to the right places on campus. It's just student support, essentially.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
You all are coming to the end of your time as the Student Government Association here at Howard Community College. What are the next steps for you and where do you see yourself going next?
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
I'm going to run for actual president of the United States.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
OK, of course. We need that.
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
They say you can't do it till you're 35, but I think they'll make the exception.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
I'd make the exception if I was them.
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
You'll vote for me. OK. My actual plan is I'm going to complete my bachelor's degree in business administration, which is what I'm here for, getting my associate's. And I'm going to continue working at the dance studio where I currently work, because that's another passion of mine.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
Yeah. I don't know where I'm going yet, but I am looking to finish my bachelor's degree in Foreign Policy. So I'm actually in languages right now. But I'm making a switch, and I'm very excited to see where that takes me.
NADIA BAYIGA:
I plan on transferring. And I want to get my bachelor's degree in cybersecurity and get a career in cybersecurity, get certifications as well. And when I transfer, I still want to be involved in SGA, but this time, I want to be president.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
What has been your favorite part of being SGA? And what has been your favorite part about Howard Community College as a whole?
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
There are so many people that I wouldn't have met if not for just being a part of Student Life. There are so many connections that I've made, even if it was initially just because people are trying to get something out of you. But there are really just so many relationships that you make. And so many good people that you meet and so many people that are willing to have your back and support you and just put their trust in you regardless. So it's an amazing community. I think that's my favorite part of it.
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
And I hate to-- I feel like our answer should be about serving the student body, but I think everything outside of the actual job hours were my favorite parts.
Like, again, seeing someone who came to an event in the parking lot or just out in the Galleria, who then knows who you are, or seeing some of the new students you met at Orientation make it through their first year, and having a group of people with them all the time, which means that they made friends, and hanging out with the people from Student Life outside of this place because it's not just work friendships, it's actual friendships and we actually like each other. So that's pretty cool. And it doesn't feel like the end of our time with each other, which is nice.
TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
Nadia?
NADIA BAYIGA:
Well, my answer is going to be a little bit similar to Chris's answer, but for me, it's going to be, Student Life, for the people there, it doesn't really feel work like you go in a boring corporate job. No, they make it seem so fun. We're chatting. We're laughing. And like Chris said, it's really more friendship. It's something really genuine. And I'm really going to miss these guys so much. It hurts. It really does hurt. Yeah, I'm not going to get emotional right now. I'm going to miss you guys.
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
I'll miss you. But again, like, we'll see each other. I really do feel like we're going to make the effort to--
NADIA BAYIGA:
Definitely
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
--be a community still.
MARYAM ABDURRAHMAN:
Student Life trip this summer.
CHRISTIONE JOHNSON:
Hey, I'm there.
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TIMILEHIN DARAMOLA:
Thank you, three, so much for coming in today. I'm sorry that we couldn't have Ian here with us, but I also do want to thank her for the amazing work she's done over the past year as club liaison. Being a club leader over the past year here myself, I'm incredibly thankful for her receptiveness to all our requests and needs. I wish she could have come in, but having you three was an amazing treat. Thank you all for coming in and thank you for your amazing leadership. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.
To the students listening, take this episode as your sign to get more involved in student leadership in all the ways this college allows. If you're looking to get involved in any way, there's many opportunities at Student Life. I've been Timilehin Daramola. Once more, thank you all for listening to "Dragontalk."
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Outro
Podcast Producer:
That's it for this episode. We here at Dragon podcast appreciate you taking the time to listen. If you like what you heard, there is a plethora of podcasts for you to discover from Dragon podcast. Just search Dragon podcast on whatever platform you get your podcasts. Thank you, and see you next time.
A Last Word from the 2025/26 SGA