aerial view of Western's campus at night facing northwest, with golden lights surrounded by dark trees

Meet Lesivya Elsayed, the new WWU student trustee for 2026-27

Native of Cairo, Egypt is majoring in international business with a minor in economics

Lesivya Elsayed is the WWU student trustee for the 2026-27 academic year.

Western’s Board of Trustees is the governor-appointed group tasked with providing oversight of the university, and each year a new student is appointed to serve as the student trustee.

The student trustee fulfills the same function as all other trustees, focusing on the needs of students, staff, faculty, and community members, albeit through the unique lens of the current student experience. 

The student trustee for the 2026-27 academic year is Lesivya Elsayed, a senior from Cairo, Egypt majoring in international business with a minor in economics. 

Over the summer, we chatted with Lesivya about her goals for the upcoming year as a trustee, what made her decide to apply for the position, and more. 

Western Today: What made you decide to apply for the student trustee position? 

Lesivya: "Having been an international student, I’d ultimately been exposed to so much at Western so quickly. I saw facets of the student experience that others didn’t stop to realize, and it was only because I came into this experience eyes wide open, ready to throw myself at every opportunity provided to me. This gave me a very full perspective on all the opportunities and experiences that could shape my time at Western as a student. Having been provided these opportunities that shaped who I am today, I eagerly wanted to give back to the community that changed my life and saw that the trustee position would be an amazing chance to do so. I am beyond honored to be able to serve in this role this year." 

WT: What do you love most about Western? 

LE: "I love how we are all a community dedicated and committed to ensuring our success as a whole. Additionally, I love the deep-rooted passion I’ve seen in all the student, faculty, and staff."

WT: What do you hope to learn as a member of the BoT in the coming year, that you can take with you when you graduate? 

"I hope to learn how decisions impact an organization in the long run and all of the different angles the decision-making process itself can be viewed through. Additionally, I can’t wait to see how the trustees are able to bring their own personal experiences to the process, it is quite a diverse group of individuals who enjoy being active in their community. I believe I have much to learn from every one of them."