This is the last story in a three-part series profiling the Young Trustee candidates.
When Lisa Zeidner first walked onto campus during orientation, she had little idea what her four years at Duke would hold. Now, the Trinity senior and one of three Young Trustee finalists is thrilled with what she has accomplished.
Zeidner, a history major and women's studies minor, is president of Duke Student Government, a position that has allowed her to serve her community. She has done committee work for the Board of Trustees and has led crusades on campus to improve race relations and the financial aid process.
"I think I've been interested in helping people in a public way for a long time," she said.
However, Zeidner did not initially see DSG as the way she would get involved. In high school, she was actively involved with Key Club International-she served on the service organization's 16-member International Board-but participated little in student government.
Zeidner entered campus politics when, during her sophomore year, the Community Service Center rejected her application to work there. She ran for the DSG legislature and quickly became involved. Working with the committee that planned Race Day in 1997, she said, made her aware of DSG's potential. "I got to meet some of the older student leaders, and I was inspired by how they could come together over this common issue," she said.
In her time at Duke, bringing people together has topped Zeidner's list of priorities. Last year, she was DSG vice president for community interaction and the only student on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day programming committee.
She said she has also made fairness a priority. Currently, she and DSG are reexamining financial aid, and last year she worked to open the Young Trustee selection process to the public.
Now she thinks the reforms she made to the process guarantee that she has no edge over the other candidates.
"I have definitely thought about the process, and I know it very well, but the whole point of revamping it was to disallow advantages like that," she said.
As DSG president, Zeidner said she has been successful. Her goal for the year, she said, was "to make DSG more visible, accessible, and productive."
Because DSG listened to student concerns and built cohesion within the legislature, she added, "I think perceptions of the organization are so much more positive this year."
Zeidner said her extensive experience working with administrators has prepared her to sit on the Board of Trustees. "My ability to understand and work with many different types of people will be my biggest asset as Young Trustee," she said. "I am as comfortable in the Allen Building boardroom as I am at the Hideaway."
Administrators agreed that Zeidner relates well with many different people. "She has a unique ability to communicate the needs of the students in a strong, clear and charming way," said Sue Wasiolek, assistant vice president for student affairs.
Trinity senior Bob Koch, DSG vice president for facilities and athletics, said Zeidner's enthusiasm is contagious. "She's incredibly motivated, and she passes that motivation to everyone she works with," he said.
All of the hoopla surrounding the Young Trustee selection process hasn't distracted Zeidner from her duties as DSG president. "My year's not done," she said. "I'm not out of here."
She is currently looking for a job in Washington, D.C., to see if politics is the right field for her.
Either way, she plans to go to law school in two years, and she said she will certainly put her courtroom skills to good use. "I love to help people," she said. "It's like a mission."
Jaime Levy contributed to this story.
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