Former Student Body Vice President Tyler Varnadore never expected to run for the Student Government presidential ticket, but he did work in this role as if he was meant for it. 

Varnadore went down a unique path when working his way up into a presidential ticket. He started as a senator, later becoming the treasurer on the executive cabinet, before being approached by Brannigan regarding running for vice president. 

“Vice president, to me, did not really become something I thought I was capable of. Not so much that I couldn’t do it. It was more so that I didn’t think anybody would see that in me,” Varnadore said.

When first running for Student Government, it was a time of heavy involvement and there was a waitlist for Varnadore to get a seat in the Senate. He knew it would further himself and his ability to help other students at FGCU, which is why he decided to run. 

“But when I came here, I realized I wanted to make my mark at this institution in a way that I felt would not only help others, but also allow me to have personal growth,” Varnadore said. 

Varnadore’s favorite thing about being in Student Government was his executive cabinet.

“We have become a team, and we’re all very busy, so it’s a very busy team, but I enjoy having the relations that I’ve had with different people who walk completely different walks of life on this campus,” he said.

Although some cabinet positions were open during some points in the year, Varnadore silently stood up and made sure everything that needed to be done was taken care of. However, he is quick to speak highly of his cabinet members who also went above and beyond this year. 

“One of my most rewarding experiences is perhaps one of the skills that I was able to walk away with,” he said. “And I would thank not only Grace for showing me the skills, but also the rest of my cabinet. And it’s the amount of leadership that I’ve been able to develop and grow. I’ve enhanced a lot of my leadership capabilities, particularly my abilities to work within a team.”

Although this past year has many unforeseen circumstances, he is able to look at the things he learned from certain situations rather than the downside to all the extra work he had to pick up. 

“It’s very common to come into these roles and forget to delegate your work out and delegating is just a natural way of becoming successful in this role and I learned how to do that,” he said. “I learned how to see an issue and take the initiative to jump on it. And that’s something that I’ve learned particularly from Grace.”

Although he had a lot on his plate this year, Varnadore still made it a priority to be accessible to any senators or other Student Government members who needed him. 

“The one thing that I told myself I would be when I came into this role, and it’s not to talk negatively of those who’ve been in this role in the past, I always wanted to have an open door policy. I’ve always wanted to seem accessible,” he said. 

Although he is not graduating from FGCU until 2024, Varnadore will not be returning to Student Government in the upcoming term. He will be using his time to focus on studying for the LSATs and taking some much deserved time off.