Sarah Sun, Tala Alnasser announced as newest BYUSA president, executive vice president

Sarah Sun and Tala Alnasser were announced as the new BYUSA president and executive vice president on Feb. 29.

Inspired by President Reese’s inaugural address, the pair will serve the student body for the next year under the theme “Becoming BYU.”

“Tala and I believe that our backgrounds have uniquely positioned us to move this work forward. As a transfer student from Cornell University and a convert to the Church, I recognize the internal and external challenges we face as members of this community. Tala cherishes her relationship with God as a proud Muslim disciple-scholar, and she has a keen eye for how to foster a unified and faith-filled approach to belonging and inclusion,” Sun said in an Instagram post.

According to the BYU Student Leadership and Connection website, the purpose of this election is to facilitate dialogue and relationships between future leaders and students.

“The process promotes integrity and student development to cultivate a community of inclusive Christ-centered leaders,” the website said.

Voting was open to students from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 29, with results announced at 7 p.m. on the BYU Student Connection and Leadership Instagram page.  

The five pairs of candidates and their campaign teams gathered in the Wilkinson Student Center to hear the current BYUSA president and executive vice president, Fritz-Carl Morlant and Gabriel Abello, announce the winners of the election.

Angela Blomquist, director of the Student Connection and Leadership Center, said this event can cause very high emotions among the candidates. Because of this, she often invites candidates who did not win the election into her office to talk through the process.

Students can learn more about Sun and Alnasser’s campaign and plans for the upcoming year on their Instagram page.