Vicente Vargas said he wants to change the perception that GPSA does not serve students.
He said for too long the Graduate and Professional Student Association has been invisible on campus.
"I represent most graduate students who don't know a lot about GPSA, who had to work hard to find out about what is going on, and I don't want students to have to do that," he said. "I want GPSA to work for them. I know what I can do to help GPSA be more productive and accessible."
With the amount of lobbying GPSA does, Vargas said he has a good knowledge of the process having been to the state Legislature and knowing what needs to be done and who needs to be talked to.
He said he would lobby for a loan-repayment plan for students who go into public interest careers.
With the number of graduate students who have families, Vargas said he would also lobby for continued funding for the UNM's Children's Campus for Early Care & Education.
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Another thing he said he would change is having GPSA meetings on Saturdays.
"No one wants to do that," he said. "That is a horrible time for graduate students who have family and friends. Their weekends are precious; they are precious for me."
To manage the presidential duty, he said he will take nine credit hours each semester and will not hold a job.
"Anything past those nine hours is going to be devoted to being GPSA president," he said.
Vargas received his undergraduate degree in political science from UNM. He said after he completes law school, he would like to work for the U.S. government, specializing in water law.
As a native New Mexican, he chose UNM for graduate school because he always planned on staying in the state.
"Coming to UNM is the best way to get to know the people I'm going to be interacting with in the future," he said.
To involve all departments in meeting times, he would try and rotate the times so that all graduate students know what is going on.
He said one of the biggest concerns graduate students face is the lack of funding for teaching and graduate assistants.
"I want to get a ground well of graduate students together to know what we do and appreciate it, and I want GPSA to appreciate them," Vargas said.
