Akinlawon '15, Jackson '15, Rosenthal '15 voted as finalists for Young Alumni Trustee

The senior class voted Tumi Akinlawon ’15, Shawon Jackson ’15 and Hannah Rosenthal ’15 as finalists for the position of Young Alumni Trustee.

The three seniors were selected from a pool of 28 candidates in an online primary election that took place March 3-12.

The chosen Young Alumni Trustee will serve a four-year term on the University’s Board of Trustees, with the same authority and responsibility as other board members. The position provides an additional perspective to the Board of Trustees on the recent undergraduate experience.

Akinlawon is concentrating in mechanical and aerospace engineering and has certificates in materials science and engineering, robotics and intelligent systems and the program in sustainable energy.

Akinlawon is on the varsity track and field team, an Orange Key tour guide and a class co-chair for Annual Giving. He has served as a Wilson residential college adviser for the past two years. Akinlawon said his involvement with various groups of people on campus has allowed him to be in touch with many perspectives and understand how to best serve students.

He added that former University President Shirley Tilghman’s opening exercise speech left him with one message — challenge yourself — that motivated him to get the most out of his Princeton experience by maximizing the number of people he met.

“I learn from my peers as much as possible by interacting with them," he said. "The relationships I have built with people have been the basis for my running for Young Alumni Trustee.”

Both Akinlawon and Jackson said that if chosen as Young Alumni Trustee, they anticipate the difficulty of balancing multiple perspectives from the University community with their own perspectives.

Jackson has been involved with the Pace Center Breakout trips, service initiatives and student government. Jackson said his time as an RCA in Forbes showed him the challenges students face when transitioning to the University. As a member of diSiac, he said, he was able to learn about the concerns and ideas students have about enhancing the arts at Princeton, and as Undergraduate Student Government president, he gained the perspective of an administrator on how to address the concerns of students.

Jackson said learning about the good the University has done for students helped inspire him to run for the position of Young Alumni Trustee.

“I’m very committed to serving other people and want to ensure that the perspective of current students and recent alumni are considered when the board is making their decisions,” Jackson said."I think that perspective is truly rooted in the current Princeton experience, one that is important to have when considering the long-term interests of the University."

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Rosenthal is a politics major with a certificate in African American studies. She said her academic interests have paralleled her extracurricular interests.

Rosenthal started a Black and Jewish dialogue program, an initiative through the Carl A. Fields Center and the Center for Jewish Life, the spring of her sophomore year. She was a member of the Black Men’s Awareness Group her junior year, a fellow at the Carl A. Fields Center for three years, an RCA in Wilson College for two years and the recent founder of a dialogue program across eating clubs called Club Nom.

“Throughout my time here I have served as a bridge between communities,” Rosenthal said."I have tried my best to support my peers and help connect individuals with resources, a step in fostering a community where people feel valued."

She said her exposure to the diversity of Princeton has given her the opportunity to learn a lot and understand the value of listening when leading.

Last summer, Rosenthal interned in the Office of the Provost, an experience that she said helped her realize the extent of the trustees’ influence over the institution and added to her interest in running for Young Alumni Trustee.

The current Young Alumni Trustees are Brian Reilly ’14, Kanwal Matharu ’13, Angela Groves ’12, and Aku Ammah-Tagoe ’11.

The members of the Classes of 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013 are eligible to vote in the general election. Voting will run from April 28 through May 20.

The winner will be announced at the Alumni Council Awards Luncheon and at the end of the P-rade on May 29, according to University spokesperson Martin Mbugua.