After meeting with the three candidates, Blue Devils United is proud to endorse Jacob Tobia for the position of undergraduate Young Trustee.
We find tremendous value in Jacob’s experiences as a leader and activist on campus, which have afforded him the unique opportunity to develop relationships with important University officials. Having already sat on the Business and Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees, Jacob has established meaningful connections with members of the Board. These relationships proved crucial for the successful DukeOpen campaign, which Jacob led with admirable dedication.
Additionally, Jacob’s leading role in instituting extensive gender neutral housing at Duke demonstrates his enthusiasm for maximizing the University’s commitment to diversity. Jacob impressively garnered support in favor of these plans from a wide variety of student groups, which is clear evidence of his ability to transcend ideological boundaries that often permeate the campus culture. Because of this effort and his outstanding record as an advocate for LGBTQ people, Blue Devils United undoubtedly trusts Jacob to continue to represent our community on the Board of Trustees. His plans for activism, however, are certainly not limited to the LGBTQ community.
Jacob’s aspiration to prioritize the needs of undocumented students at Duke clearly indicates his broader view in advocating on behalf of marginalized communities. We place a great deal of faith in his ability to actively listen to and elevate the needs of the various communities represented on campus.
Duke is absolutely lucky to have candidates as qualified as those running in this year’s election. That being said, we admire Jacob’s leadership, initiative and dedication to the needs of LGBTQ individuals, and we enthusiastically endorse his candidacy.
Daniel Kort, Trinity ’16
President, Blue Devils United
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