New slate of World Campus student government leaders elected for 2023-24

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State World Campus students have elected a new group of officers to represent them in the 2023-24 academic year. 

Daniel Serfass has been elected to the office of president of the World Campus Student Government Association. He was appointed president in 2022 after the previous president, Sabrina Smith, resigned from the position. Serfass, of State College, is an undergraduate student majoring in security and risk analysis. 

Olu Ajisafe, a student in the Penn State Online MBA program from Washington, D.C., is the vice president-elect. 

Penn State World Campus students voted online in an election in March for executive board positions and committee chair roles. The elected leaders will begin their terms later in April. 

The government, which formed in 2019, advocates for the interests and concerns of the almost 14,000 Penn State World Campus students to enhance the student experience.  

"Our incoming leadership team will be focusing heavily on assuring a true Penn State experience for all World Campus students from orientation through, and after, graduation,” Serfass said. "We also will be working to assure equitable opportunities here at Penn State within the realms of engagement, research, and scholarships for our remote learners.” 

Serfass said he is eager to engage with World Campus administration and staff. 

"Penn State has led the pack within the realm of distance learning for generations, and we see a tremendous opportunity to build a greater experience for our students in World Campus' 25th year."

The Student Government Association is supported by the Penn State World Campus Student Affairs office.  

“We are pleased to see our students continuing to take an active role in their university and their commitment to ensuring their peers are full participants in the Penn State community,” said Karen Pollack, associate vice provost for Online Education. “We look forward to working with the newly elected officers.” 

The winners of the offices that will form the executive board of the World Campus Student Government Association are: 

• Daniel Serfass, president 

• Olu Ajisafe, vice president 

• Jakeline Salan-Del Cid, speaker of the assembly 

The winners of the committee elections are: 

• Ma Socorro Rovers, chair of the academic affairs committee 

• Marisa Anuszewski, chair of the marketing and communications committee 

• Cassandra Barr, chair of the student affairs committee 

• Saleh Maghrabi, chair of the technology committee 

The positions of secretary, treasurer, and chair of the governmental affairs committee were not filled in the election. There will be a special election to fill those positions during the April 25 student government meeting. 

Visit the Penn State World Campus website for students to learn more about the new members of the student government.