Hi everyone!

My name is Aleah Betts, and I am running to be your Online JD SBA Vice President.
When I sat down to think about what I wanted my campaign to represent, I came back with one idea: betting on better.

Law school is tough enough; most of us are working professionals managing law school and our loved ones. Our experience here can be more than just surviving one assignment at a time. We have the opportunity to help shape what this program becomes — not only for ourselves, but for every online JD student who comes after us.

I am running on 4 principles:

Better Connection 
Our cohort faces a unique challenge. We do not have the same opportunities to casually see each other on campus, sit next to each other in class, or build those daily face-to-face interactions. I want to help change that. I want to create opportunities to be more intentional about us connecting and the entire Detroit Mercy community.

Better Representation
As the first online cohort, we do not have a previous class to tell us exactly what this experience should look like. We are establishing the expectations, traditions, and improving systems those who come after us will inherit. I want our voices represented when decisions are being made that affect us. I have the unique opportunity to be able to go on campus and sit in on meetings, meet with faculty, and advocate for us in rooms we were not considered in.

Better Communication
As online students, we need communication that is intentional, accessible, and consistent. We should not feel like we are seeking opportunities, events, resources, or important information after everyone else. As VP, I want to strengthen communication between the SBA, our cohort, faculty, and the entire Detroit Mercy Community.

This includes making sure students know who we are, organizations are intentional about what resources are available to us, and most importantly, how our voices can implement what happens next.

Better Action
Ideas are good. But ideas without actions mean nothing. I don't plan to run on promises that sound appealing, and this work cannot be done alone. If we see problems, let's work together toward a solution. If we have ideas, let's see who we need to talk to about it. If something is not working, let's speak up and work towards making it better.

Betting on Better does not mean everything will be perfect. It means believing that things have the opportunity to be better and doing the work to get there.

A Bit About Me

Before coming to law school, I built my career around community engagement, advocacy, and connecting people with resources and opportunities. In my current role, I work as a community engagement coordinator for a legal aid organization, where I coordinate outreach, develop partnerships, connect people to legal resources, and work with staff to create clinics for communities in need. Previously, I led 13 employee resource groups at a for-profit organization and served as vice president of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated - Tau Chapter, where I led the program and planning committee.