Meehan seeks to become first autistic MSU SA president
Mississippi State University student Lucy Meehan is running for the role of President for the MSU Student Association and if she wins, she will be the country’s first autistic student body president at a major university.
Meehan said the reason she is running for MSU SA President is because she believes it is important for the student body to have a diverse representation.
“Being a disabled student, I feel that if I had a role model who said, ‘Hey, I have a disability and I succeed academically,’ that would have helped me out freshman year,” said Meehan. “I just think it would actually help the community of Starkville if we had a representative from the school who was open about being disabled and they can still succeed in life.”
For Meehan, most of her issues occasionally come from processing information when there is pressure involved or when it comes to social conversation, but she chooses to embrace those issues and take them as they are.
“I have issues with testing, so I get to take my tests in a separate location with extended time because I have issues with processing information on occasion, especially in high stake test situations. So, that’s why I get accommodations,” said Meehan. “A lot of my issues I would say are more
social, which is why I think it’s really important that I am running because I know I’m not the only student on this campus who struggles socially. Like for instance, if someone uses figurative language that I have never heard of before, I will seriously have no idea what they’re talking about, or when people are passive-aggressive, I might not understand
that; I take things very literally sometimes.”
Meehan said she has been asserting a lot of effort towards her SA presidential campaign.
“I’ve been posting on Instagram, I had a meeting with the presidents of the fraternities on campus, and I participated in a presidential debate that can be seen on the MSU Student Association’s Instagram, if anyone wants to watch it,” said Meehan. “I’m also speaking with a Christian sorority [Thursday
night], I’m speaking with the Resident Hall Association, and the Music Makers Club; I’ve contacted every student organization on this campus and told them that I am willing to talk to them, I want to help their organization succeed when I am president, so I’m really reaching out to everybody.”
Meehan will have a table set up on the Drill Field in front of the Colvard Student Union today, Monday and Tuesday for students who would want to talk with her about her campaign.