Even when pneumonia-stricken Kelsy Briggs — who had just been released from the hospital that day — spoke with former ASUI President Nate Fisher to interview for the position of community relations coordinator her freshman year, she stood out from her competitors.
“She killed it,” Fisher said. “Kelsy’s a rockstar.”
Briggs has been climbing her way up the ASUI ladder ever since.
Briggs has Vandal pride in her blood. Her parents met each other at the University of Idaho, her brother attended the school and now she is the newest vice president of ASUI.
Briggs also works as education chairman of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. It was there, among her sorority sisters, that Briggs said she was first encouraged to get involved in student leadership. Former ASUI Vice President Sarah Vetsmany was also a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and encouraged Briggs to apply for ASUI.
“I’m really grateful those girls pushed me,” Briggs said.
Since her appointment as the community relations coordinator her first year, Briggs met with members of Moscow City Hall, the mayor and UI administrators to represent the student body and its needs.
Briggs was involved in leadership and community issues long before she got to Moscow.
When Briggs was a junior at Borah High School in Boise she said she sold cookies with her friends to raise money for local charities. The club was called Cookies for a Cause. It was a short-lived project, but was Briggs’ introduction to something bigger.
“It kind of got my eyes opened to being involved in leadership opportunities,” Briggs said.
During her senior year of high school, Briggs became her student government’s community relations coordinator, where she acted as a liaison at school board meetings and was in charge of spirit weeks.
Briggs is now in her third year at UI. She said she has the skill set to tackle her current position of vice president.
When Austin Karstetter stepped down from the presidency this summer, his running mate, Cruz Botello, was left looking for his own vice president to fill the vacancy. Botello said Briggs was Karstetter’s first choice for a running mate during his campaign. Briggs had too heavy of a course load to take on the position at the time.
Briggs and Botello have known each other since they were both freshmen at UI. Briggs’ brother was a member of Botello’s fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI), and Botello said Briggs would come by the house frequently. Briggs and Botello both described each other as good friends.
It was over the summer when the two were hanging out that Botello said he first asked Briggs about becoming his vice president. After thinking it over for a couple of days, Briggs contacted Botello to let him know she was in.
Since the semester began, Briggs has kept busy with her classes, her sorority obligations and learning about the vice president’s role within ASUI.
“It’s been a little bit of a learning curve, but so far she’s doing very well,” Botello said.
Taylor Nadauld
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