Fifteen seniors are running Young Alumni Trustee, representing a sharp decline from previous years. Thirty-one seniors ran in the primary election last year, compared to 27 in 2024 and 23 in 2023.
The elected candidate will serve four years on the Board of Trustees and have the same powers as other members of the Board, including votes on the University’s budget, tuition and fees, and admission policy.
A questionnaire sent by The Daily Princetonian yielded 14 responses from the 15 candidates, in which every candidate was provided the opportunity to speak with the ‘Prince.’ Kunsel Subrahmanyam ’26 did not respond to the circulated form.
The responses show that the candidates represent a diverse subset of the Princeton community, including four international students. Tower Club and Tiger Inn were the two eating clubs most represented in the candidate pool, with three seniors running from each club. Four are not in any eating club, and the School of Public and International Affairs was the most represented major, with three candidates from the school.
The candidates, who hail from across the globe, cited their backgrounds in areas like community service and student government as factors that would help them fulfill the responsibilities of the role.
“I grew up in Ghana, and I’ve worked in various nonprofits there, on alumni boards,” Kelih Henyo ’26 told the ‘Prince’ in an interview. Henyo cited his experiences in a “resource-constrained context” as applicable to the Princeton context, especially as the University faces a series of budget cuts.
Enzo Kho ’26, the former Undergraduate Student Government (USG) president, also cited his global experiences as a key motivator for running.
“I came to Princeton after my family and I experienced political violence in the Philippines — an experience that changed the trajectory of my life, shaping my sense of purpose in service,” he wrote in a statement to the ‘Prince.’
Kho cited his work in the USG as informative in understanding “the University’s complex structure” and learning how to “strengthen bridges between students and the administration during a period of institutional change.”
“As the first student from my public high school to attend Princeton, I know people from backgrounds like mine have not often had a seat in rooms like the trustee room,” Jaisnav Rajesh ’26 wrote in a statement to the ‘Prince.’
Rajesh, who hails from Plainfield, Ill., believes that his background and experience serving the student community as a Pace Center Student Leader and a Residential College Adviser would inform his role as a potential trustee.
Alexcis Johnson ’26 expressed similar sentiments and told the ‘Prince’ about the diversity of viewpoints and experiences she has had throughout her four years.
“Over the course of my time here, I’ve come to see so many of my perspectives … challenged, and so many courses that I have taken and enjoyed that I never would have considered as a high school student,” Johnson said.
“I hope to encourage more people to consider how their Princeton journey can help them develop and decide their own ambitions,” she continued.
Many expressed wishes to ensure that a diversity of perspectives are reflected at the decision-making table and to continue Princeton’s institutional legacy.
Richard Kertatos ’26, a non-traditional student who served in the Coast Guard prior to transferring to Princeton, expressed that he wished to serve as a “bridge” between the University administration and the campus community.
“I think the purpose of the Young Alumni Trustee is really to bridge that gap and to provide recent student perspectives to the Board,” Kertatos told the ‘Prince’ in an interview.
Similarly, Kriti Garg ’26 wrote to the ‘Prince’ that her experiences as an RCA and a class officer have prepared her for the role and expressed a wish to expand opportunities for future classes.
“I arrived at Princeton as someone’s dream of what was possible; I hope to leave having expanded what’s possible for the next,” Garg wrote.
“I think one of the biggest challenges that Princeton faces is preserving and defending that kind of higher education that it represents, and especially during a time … of skepticism and political pressure and potentially questions about access,” Shannon Yeow ’26 said in an interview with the ‘Prince.’ “I think Princeton, definitely in the long term, must really continue standing up for these values.”
Young Alumni Trustee candidates are prohibited from campaigning and are allowed only a brief statement about themselves and their intentions for running.
The remaining candidates are Minna Abdella ’26, Sol Choi ’26, Cole Crosby ’26, Jamil Fayad ’26, Roberto Lachner ’26, Connor McCord ’26, Kunsel Subrahmanyam ’26, and Aishwarya Swamidurai ’26.
Voting for the 2026 Young Alumni Trustee primary election will begin Monday, March 30 and end on April 7, with voting open only to the members of the Class of 2026. Through a process of ranked-choice voting, seniors will rank the 15 candidates in order of preference.
Following the primary, the top three candidates will advance to the general election, which will be open to voting for the senior class, the junior class, and the two most recent alumni classes. Online voting for the general election will begin on April 29 and end on May 13.
The 2026 Young Alumni Trustee will be announced on May 22 during Reunions at the Alumni Council Annual Meeting.
The Daily Princetonian will continue reporting on the candidates and the election.
Sena Chang is the associate News editor for the ‘Prince’ leading investigations. She is from Japan and South Korea, and she often covers local politics and student life. She can be reached at sena[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
Luke Grippo, Nico David-Fox, and Oliver Wu contributed reporting.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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