Emily Resnick is energy personified.
“When she was a little kid, we used to call her “˜rubber baby’ because she was constantly falling down, but she’d always bounce right back up,” said her mother, Debra Resnick.
Family and friends agree that this determination, coupled with a unique enthusiasm for life, is what they believe makes her a great leader.
“If she wants something, she will use her passion and energy to figure out how to get there,” said close friend and fellow councilmember Stephanie Lucas.
Currently, Resnick is channeling this energy to represent Bruins United as an Undergraduate Students Association Council presidential candidate.
No stranger to USAC, Resnick served as a general representative this year, organizing events like the farmers market and the last basketball campout at Pauley Pavilion.
She said her experiences this year made her acutely aware of both the strengths and weaknesses of USAC. Her strong desire to address problems like council visibility prompted her to run for president, she added.
“I would not be running if my heart wasn’t in this 150 percent,” Resnick said.
Her involvement with USAC began as a first-year, when she helped her friend and recent graduate Thach Nguyen campaign for general representative. The following year, she served on his office’s Swipes for the Homeless committee.
“She has this incredible ability to inspire and motivate other people. Beyond being this amazing ball of energy, she’s a really impactful and effective leader,” Nguyen said.
Aside from her USAC endeavors, Resnick sings with a cappella group Random Voices and is a member of the sorority Delta Gamma. She has also worked at the Hedrick Hall front desk, John Wooden Center and Bruin Woods UCLA alumni camp.
In high school, she gained leadership experience as the commissioner of spirit for student government and captain of the girls’ basketball team. She also volunteered with Best Buddies, an organization that helps people with intellectual disabilities.
“She looks for the good in people and in situations, which will serve her well, given all doom and gloom surrounding university finances,” said her mother.
Those who know her best say these qualities will help her achieve her presidential platform, which focuses on campus pride, council unity and student empowerment.
“I want to make USAC a household name; students pay money to USAC, and they should see the benefits,” Resnick said.
Promoting council unity is also a top priority. She said slate politics should end at elections.
“Emily has always cared more about the success of programs than slate politics,” said Lucas, a fellow member of the Bruins United slate.
Her ability to unite the council and get students excited could transform the jaded views many people hold of USAC, added Lucas.
Resnick said she thinks events benefit immensely from council and student group collaboration. That’s why she co-programmed the farmers market with President Jasmine Hill while also working with student groups such as Ecology, Economy, Equity, she said.
“My goal is to be (as) bipartisan as possible and use my experience to enact change that reflects the best interests of students,” Resnick said. “I want to make people fall in love with UCLA all over again.”