Undergraduate Student Representative to the Board, 2026–27
Emily Castillo-Melean is a first-generation student from Miami and a rising junior in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences, pursuing a double major in policy studies and citizenship & civic engagement.
A recipient of the Posse Foundation Full-Tuition Leadership Scholarship and an Our Time Has Come Scholar, she currently serves as President of the Student Government Association for its 70th session, having previously served as Speaker of the Assembly. She represents the student body as a University Senator and as the undergraduate student representative to the Syracuse University Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Her professional experience includes work with the New York State Democratic Party and the Onondaga County Legislature. She has been recognized with the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award from the Our Time Has Come Program and the Robert F. Lucas Outstanding Lieutenant Governor Award from Key Club International (2024).
Castillo-Melean serves as one of two undergraduate student representatives to the board for the 2026-27 academic year. She participates, ex officio, on the Student Experience Committee and reports to the Board at Executive Committee and full Board meetings.