Awa Mbai has been a member of the UNC Greensboro Student Government Association (SGA) for several years; but now, she’s taking on her biggest role yet, and thanks to UNCG, she’s ready to get to work. Awa Mbai was sworn in alongside new members of the UNC Greensboro Board of Trustees in October 2023.

“We are the voices for the students, and essentially, each person within Student Government represents somebody at UNCG. It’s important for students to know that there’s someone within our organization they can come to with their concerns,” Mbai says.

In October, Mbai was sworn in as the new President by the UNCG Board of Trustees. She joined SGA during her first year of college, inspired by seeing her resident advisor serve as the President. In her first year, SGA advocated for Juneteenth to be included on the University’s academic calendar, one of the first impactful moments Mbai says she noticed in her SGA career.

Mental health focus

One of Mbai’s goals is to bring back “mental health days” – a day each semester where students do not have classes and are encouraged to relax and step away from their schoolwork.

“I want SGA to now focus on mental health initiatives and also create a bridge between student groups and our organization,” says Mbai, a senior studying political science with a minor in Spanish.

The organization has also been sending out surveys for issues like suicide awareness and tabling with mental health resources.

Paying it forward

During her sophomore year, Mbai landed an internship with Rep. Kathy Manning’s office – specifically working with immigration casework. She is now an immigration assistant in the Congresswoman’s Greensboro office, helping people navigate their immigration journey – something she’s familiar with. When she was five years old, her family immigrated from Gambia to Raleigh, North Carolina – creating a new life as refugees. She speaks five languages: Arabic, Wolof, Spanish, English, and French.

Mbai took the LSAT in August, hoping to eventually earn her way into law school and become an immigration attorney – helping others like her family.
Awa Mbai (center) at the 2023 Homecoming bonfire.

Necessary networking

It was SGA that also helped Mbai get her role with Rep. Manning’s office.

“Congresswoman Manning’s office works with a lot of UNCG students, and I was able to learn from other people in SGA,” she says. “One of the first things I heard in my first year was make sure to use the people around you to learn about different things, and that networking is really important.”

Creating a community

Building community is also important for Mbai. When looking at colleges, she wanted to attend a diverse school, something she did not see throughout her education. She found that at UNCG, where she met people from different backgrounds and cultures.

“I love how UNCG is so inclusive and welcoming of everyone,” she says. “It feels like home here.”