When senior Courtney Anvender transferred to Saint Louis University from Miami University of Ohio after her freshman year, she hoped to make the most of her new home at SLU. She never thought that she would eventually lead her new home as the President of SLU’s Student Government Association.
“I pursued this position selflessly because I love SLU and feel like leading the student body is the best way to give back,” Anvender said. “I never thought I would run for president. But it was a weird thing in the back of my head. If the job needs to be done [I] just do it. I saw there was a void I could fill.”
The position of president is not an entirely new role for Anvender.  At her St. Louis-based high school, Cor Jesu Academy, she led her senior class as Student Body President during the 2006-2007 school year.

Though this is her second time leading her fellow students, Anvender said she strives to remain down to earth.
“I never want to forget that I’m a student first,” she said, noting her desire to get to know the student body. “I want students to look to me as a student, not an administrator. My main goal is to be approachable and really relate to students. I am one student out of 12,000.” Anvender said that she plans to stay connected to the groups that she’s already a part of and to still spend time with her friends in order to do this.
Anvender said she hopes to push policies that matter to students and to restore faith in the SGA. She said she believes that staying in tune with student needs will allow her accomplish real change. These policies include updating the Pius XII Library and striving for greater transparency. Anvender said she hopes the Student Relations Committee will garner the support necessary from the student body to push for these changes.
“This job already has forced me to broaden my perspective,” Anvender said. “I wanted to run a clean and positive campaign and the executive board agreed that this was the least cut-throat campaign [at SLU] in a long-time.”
Even before heading SGA, Anvender said she has made the most of her college experience. After transferring at the beginning of her sophomore year, Anvender said she decided to major in Political Science and International Studies.
“I actually should have graduated early, but decided to do an honors thesis for Political Science. I started it before I knew I was running for president,” Anvender said. “I’m interested in international politics.”
Her interest in international issues took her to Europe, as she studied abroad in London during 2009 and recently returned from studying at the London School of Economics and in Belfast, Northern Ireland this summer.
She said she hopes to continue studying Northern Ireland with a focus on the conflict between Catholics and Protestants.
Additionally, she said she has studied Arabic in the past and has her sights set on attending graduate school in Washington, D.C.
Anvender also plans on applying for a Fulbright Scholarship to continue her interest in international relations.
In her free time, Anvender enjoys reading and spending time with her family. “I love to travel within the United States and internationally,” Anvender said. “I go four-wheeling and camping with my family. I love lakes. I love traveling.”