Vancouver's Colin Watrin is next year's WWU Associated Students president

Colin Watrin has been elected Western Washington University’s Associated Students president for the 2010-2011 academic year.

The Associated Students is both the association of all WWU students and the official student governing body. The AS is responsible for providing a framework for a variety of experiential learning opportunities and serving as a vehicle for student involvement in the governance of the university.

As president, Watrin will be chairperson of AS board meetings, oversee AS operations, and represent the Associated Students to the university’s Board of Trustees. His goals include improving the student representation systems across Western’s campus to ensure that student voices are being heard and taken seriously during these challenging times in higher education. Watrin said he is a firm believer in student involvement and the powerful role it plays in students achieving a meaningful college experience.

Watrin, a native of Vancouver and a graduate of Prairie High School, spent the past year working as the AS vice president for Activities. As vice president for Activities, Watrin has worked closely with more than 200 clubs on campus. Watrin also worked extensively on planning a weeklong event called “Project Leadership” designed to foster leadership development among students groups on campus. He plans to continue his involvement with leadership development initiatives next year in his role as AS president.

Prior to working with the Associated Students, Watrin has been involved with many other areas across the WWU campus. He spent two years working as an orientation student advisor through the office of New Student Services and Family Outreach. Watrin has also worked in the Office of Admissions as student admissions representative since his sophomore year.

Watrin is a senior working toward completing a double major in Sociology/Social Studies and Communication. After graduating from Western next spring, he plans to continue his passion for working with others in the field of education.