Apparently I come from a place where they breed excellence. Not only is Chris Prosinski part of our ranks (last week’s Celeb), but Brian Schueler as well, who, I can only imagine, will be a big voice in the political world someday. Coming from humble roots in Buffalo, Wyoming, Brian is an outgoing and generous guy who is more than capable of running a whole country. But, for now, Brian is the President of ASUW, the student government here on campus. He is a double major in International Studies and Economics and along with ASUW, he is a part of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and sings in the Singing Statesmen. Although he loves the university now, Wyoming wasn’t always Brian’s go-to school. “Well, I was looking at other schools from high school and I really wanted to go east…I didn’t think I was going to get the best education at UW, but my family had roots here. When I got to campus, I think my worries about not getting the best education I could were disproven very quickly.” As he’s proven, UW is a place full of opportunities for students and prospective students, alike.
This isn’t always easy, though. Being involved on campus can be hard to juggle with school, and Brian is no exception.“The most challenging thing is shutting off the ASUW President mode and saying ‘okay, I have to go to class now.’ Going and sitting in class and listening to a lecture for 75 minutes is so hard because I want to be answering all those emails and everything, but I have to stay focused.” I mean, it’s hard for anyone to stay focused, even when we don’t have a million responsibilities like he does. For him, though, the benefits and rewards far outweigh the struggles of it. “Some of the coolest and most rewarding parts of being in my position in ASUW is that I get to go and be involved in a lot of these big decisions that get made on campus. We can sit down and say ‘we actually did change a decision here, changed something for the better, something students needed.’” But, it’s not just the job that’s rewarding, it’s the opportunities on campus, as a student, that he loves as well. “That’s one of my favorite things about UW. I can go up to any person in administration, in the government here, in the faculty, and have a pretty much peer-to-peer conversation with them. I think it’s amazing…we have such a unique opportunity to talk to professors and get those connections, that nowhere else does.” He is so right. This isn’t just for men like Brian, but for women, like Emily Kath, as well. If you are an avid reader of our articles, you’ll know that I wrote an article on her a couple weeks ago, as well. She is his Vice President and I asked Brian what his stance was on women in power and women at the top. I have pretty much could never have asked for a better answer. “If Emily had approached me and said, ‘I want you to be my vice president’ I would have totally gone for that. I think there is a lot of tactful, intelligent, and remarkable women out there. The more, the merrier.”
There you have it, the man behind the suits, Brian Schueler. If you ever want to get more involved with big decisions made on campus, please stop by the ASUW office in the basement of the Union. They have an open door policy and always love hearing from students. After all, they’re here to work for us. Thanks for sitting down with me, Brian, and make sure to remember the little people.