The following young executives, profiled for the second in a series about Florida's talented student government officials, have all spent several years around the state capital as students of Florida State University. Their combined experiences in FSU's Student Government Association include lobbying state lawmakers, bringing online voting to SGA elections and overseeing a $50,000 budget.
Each official has big plans for the future, and each says FSU has helped shape his or her outlook.
Dustin Daniels
Job: Student body president
Age: 21
Area of study: Pursuing dual degrees in economics and international affairs
Dustin Daniels has ample experience in Tallahassee's political scene, but his ambitions extend far beyond the state Capitol.
The 21-year-old, who just began his term as Florida State University's student body president, wants to attend the London School of Economics and pursue a degree in development management. Eventually, he plans to work in Africa.
Entering American politics is still a possibility, he says, but he has no intention of becoming "the standard professional politician."
"I don't believe in leaving school thinking I'm going to be a politician," Daniels said.
For now, the Philadelphia native is trying to adjust to his new role. His first days in office made for "a pretty intense experience," he said, but Daniels has a lot he wants to accomplish over the next year or so.
One of his top priorities as president is promoting more political activism among FSU's student body. Daniels has sat on the board of directors for the Student Government Association's Office of Legislative Affairs, so he's familiar with the ins and outs of lawmaking processes.
Daniels wants to see students trained in lobbying, grassroots organizing and communications, because he knows they have a stake in important state issues. For example, he said, recent budget cuts affected everyone at FSU, but most students felt like they didn't have an outlet for their opinions.
"Students had nothing more to do than update their Facebook with angry statuses or join Facebook groups," Daniels said.
He hopes to change that mentality by giving FSU students more representation in government circles.
As for Daniels' own politics? He usually finds himself on the liberal side of issues, but his experiences in college have pushed him a bit more toward the center.
Bobby Seifter
Job: Student body vice president
Age: 21
Areas of study: Economics and political science double major with a minor in political philosophy
Law school is probably in Bobby Seifter's future, but politics? That's not a sure thing.
Seifter, the student body vice president at Florida State University, says he hasn't made up his mind on whether he'll pursue a career in public office. Having spent the last few years as a leader in FSU's Student Government Association, the 21-year-old is already familiar with the myriad challenges politicians face.
"I feel SGA has helped me learn a lot about how real political life works," he said. "I need to decide if that's something I want to dedicate my life to."
In the meantime, at least, Seifter has thrown himself into policymaking at FSU. He began his term as vice president in March, but he has previous experience holding leadership posts in the student senate.
Under Seifter's watch as senate president, student lawmakers streamlined the way SGA doles out money to campus organizations, making the budgeting process more efficient. Seifter also led an effort to bring online voting to SGA elections -- a measure, he said, that was inspired by low voter turnout for previous races.
After passing the online-voting bill, Seifter said, "voter turnout for spring more than quadrupled. It was ridiculous."
Now that he's a junior, Seifter is weighing his options for the future, and he's considering FSU for law school. He boasts family connections to the university, and his stint as an undergraduate there has helped mold his political views.
Before college, Seifter lived in South Florida and attended a liberal-leaning high school in Palm Beach County, but FSU has made him more of a moderate.
"FSU kind of opened my eyes on a lot of different subjects," he said.
Dayana Bernavil
Job: Student body treasurer
Age: 20
Areas of study: Hospitality major with a leadership minor
As a high school senior, Dayana Bernavil was accepted into plenty of Florida colleges.
Florida State University, though, offered her something that other schools couldn't match.
FSU is home to the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement, or CARE, which provides support to students who are first in their families to attend college. That program, Bernavil says, gave her the boost she needed to start her FSU career, and since then, she's become active in the Student Government Association.
"I just jumped right into it," she said.
Bernavil, who was raised in Miami, first got involved in SGA during her freshman year, and her leadership roles have included a stint as the Black Student Union's treasurer. In that position, she oversaw a $50,000 budget.
This spring, Bernavil decided to make a run for student body treasurer. Her term began in March, and over the next year, she wants to use the principles she picked up managing BSU's money to make all of SGA more efficient. That includes starting a "financial roundtable" to encourage more communication between SGA agencies.
Her new post also comes with enviable perks, like enjoying a private dinner with CNN journalist Soledad O'Brien.
But Bernavil's aspirations don't stop at student body treasurer: The hospitality major wants to start her own event-planning agency. In the "far future," she says, she might enter national politics.
She takes a moderate stance on most political issues, and she sees herself in Congress someday or "maybe president of the United States."
"I really don't let limits stop me," Bernavil said. "It's really the sky's the limit for me."
Next week: The leaders of Florida International University
Lyndsey Lewis can be reached at llewis@sunshinestatenews.com, or at (850) 727-0859.
