From private school to public school to homeschooling, Lucy Burns found herself moving frequently throughout her early years. Now a junior at Northern Kentucky University and vice president of Student Government Association, she has firmly grounded herself in leadership and community.
Before landing at NKU, Burns found herself in the short window of time that existed between her final move and her high school graduation date. With such little time, she said she was unable to progress in her high school clubs. Living in Murray, a small town in Western Kentucky, did not help make up for the involvement opportunities she lost in this move.
Burns attributes her determination to her hometown: “It definitely made me more driven than I would’ve been otherwise because in a small town there aren’t as many opportunities. So if you want to achieve something, you have to work a little harder for it.”
After deciding to attend NKU as an environmental sciences major in the fall of 2021, Burns got to work ensuring that her college experience wouldn’t become a repeat of her high school fate. She was determined to begin her involvement early so that she wouldn’t miss out on opportunities later in her college career.
She joined NKU’s Student Government Association (SGA) her first semester, climbing the ladder from senator to University Improvements Committee chair to being voted into the seat of vice president for the ’23-’24 academic year.
“The position really suits her. She does everything she’s meant to do and she’s very approachable. She’s all for us doing our work which I love. I like when people are very straight to the point like ‘let’s get everything done,’” said second-year senator and student Princess Nworah.
As vice president, Burns takes care of the day-to-day administrative tasks required to run SGA. She is constitutionally required to represent SGA at Faculty Senate and Staff Congress meetings, recommend assignments for committees and their chairs, and coordinate the SGA retreat and banquet. Burns has also chosen to expand on her role. She has dedicated time to make more personal connections with the members of SGA, offering advice and guidance to committee chairs and helping new senators gain their footing.
In addition to her role as vice president, Burns holds a position in her sorority Phi Sigma Sigma. She serves as their philanthropy chair, where she plans and oversees philanthropy events.
Hannah Steffen, Phi Sigma Sigma’s vice president, met Burns at her bid day—the celebration for a new class of members in a Panhellenic sorority—in 2021. She recalled that Burns left a strong impression on her, describing her as “incredibly strong-willed and determined to get what she wanted.” Steffen also saw Burns as a light-hearted, goofy person who knew how to get along with her peers.
Beyond these aspects of her personality, Steffen also noted Burns’ passion for environmentalism.
“That’s very important to her. That’s kind of her thing, she wants to find a way to make bigger companies more sustainable. She talks about it all the time,” Steffen said.
No matter what niche of campus Burns is involved in, she has a clear goal for the impact she wants to leave on NKU’s campus: “Leaving anything I’m in better than I found it… leaving those tools behind for the next people because I won’t be here forever.”