SGA Introduces New DSS Liaison
Image Courtesy of Marisabel Martinez
By Anthony Curioso
Many college students, especially those with disabilities, are often concerned about whether or not they will receive the adequate support they need to be successful in college and beyond.
Thankfully, as of November 3, students with accommodations on file through the CUA Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) have a fellow student in their corner working with SGA to advocate for their needs.
The new SGA liaison for DSS-related matters in the 2025-26 school year is Marisabel Martinez, a freshman psychology major from Naples, Florida. As part of this role, Martinez will meet regularly with the DSS office staff to convey concerns from her fellow students regarding the implementation of their classroom and testing accommodations, as well as any required accommodations for their housing assignments.
Martinez talked about what inspired her to apply for this position.
“My biggest inspiration for applying to this role is the student government itself,” Martinez said. “I saw how influential they were, and I felt empowered to apply for it.”
Martinez shared that she was introduced to Student Body President Michael Kish, a senior majoring in business and philosophy, at the first SGA-hosted dinner with University President Peter Kilpatrick at the University Presidents’ residence in Nugent Hall. During their conversation, Martinez expressed her desire to become more involved with SGA, to which Kish responded by informing her about the open DSS liaison position. After a follow-up discussion where they addressed the logistics and any questions Martinez had about the role, she officially accepted the position and began serving her peers on November 3.
Kish praised Martinez highly, noting her personal experience living and navigating through college as an individual with a disability made her an excellent advocate for DSS issues through SGA.
On her goals for her time as the DSS liaison for SGA, Martinez shared, “This year, I hope that I can make the Pryz sliding glass doors open sooner than they currently do. I also hope to see what we can do about how scary-sounding the elevators are.”
2025-26 is the second year with only one point of contact, or “Executive Liaison,” for SGA advocacy regarding DSS matters. For the two years before the 2024-25 school year, DSS had been one of the advocacy areas for which a small group of students, known as an “Executive Initiative,” was responsible for addressing concerns from their peers.
In previous years, whether in the form of the Executive Initiative or the sole Liaison, the contact person(s) for SGA advocacy have hosted events to raise awareness of disability-related issues on campus and beyond. Only time will tell whether Martinez will do the same.
Students who wish to meet with Martinez or have a peer to whom they can voice any concerns regarding DSS matters should contact Martinez by email at martinezmr@cua.edu.
