Record Support Marks New Leadership Across Laurier’s Student Community
On Jan. 26, 2026, the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union released the results of its annual Students’ Union election.
During the election, undergraduate students were invited to vote for a peer to serve as Students’ Union president & CEO for the 2026–27 academic year.
With a voter count of over 2646 students (10.68 per cent), results for faculty president and board positions were also announced. Clara Simmons was elected as Faculty of Music Association president with 87.5 per cent approval. Dominic Rocchetta and Rylan Teskey were elected as Lazaridis Students’ Society (LazSoc) co-presidents, receiving 95.8 per cent support. For the Wilfrid Laurier University Board of Governors, Eugene Anekwe was selected as an acclaimed candidate. For the WLU Senate, Isaac Halsey, Stephanie Enyinnaya, Diego Cabral-Melo and Ripley Clipperton were admitted as acclaimed members, while Manahil Bashir was elected to the senate.
With 96 per cent of voters in favour, Jessica Le was elected as Students’ Union president and CEO. Le thanked students for participating in the election and congratulated the newly elected faculty presidents. She also encouraged students to apply for the upcoming orientation positions.
When being interviewed, Le maintained her excitement over the results, “I’m so happy students were out there to vote as it was a little bit of a struggle to get people out,” said Le. “But I’m excited to see what this year has in store, and how we can all help bring a community to Laurier.”
A referendum was also submitted by International Students Overcoming War (ISOW), a student-run organization, proposing a one-dollar increase to its non-refundable levy. The increase would raise the fee from $2 to $3 per half-credit term, which goes directly towards financing tuition, housing, and essential living costs for international students fleeing violence in their home country. The motion was approved, receiving 61.46 per cent support from voters.
The Student’s Union represents the general interests of Laurier’s undergraduate population, watching over 300 clubs, operating services and managing the many events across Waterloo and Brandford campus. Formerly known as Waterloo University College’s Student Union, which was formed in 1963, it was formally incorporated into Wilfrid Laurier in 1975. The Student Union recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, a major milestone for the organization and a reminder of its impact on student life. In fact, the Union has managed to contribute over 34 million dollars towards the Wilfrid Laurier student experience. This includes contributions towards scholarships and bursaries, investments in student spaces such as the Alumni field, and support for all the clubs and faculty associations.
Le will begin her term as president and CEO during the 2026–27 school year. She will lead the day-to-day operations of the Union, acting as a spokesperson for the student body, overseeing the Executive Leadership Team, the annual operating budget, and serving on multiple committees. Full election results will be available on the Student Union’s official website.
Jessica Le is the new Students’ Union President for the 2026/27 school year.
Throughout her time at Laurier, she has been involved in the students’ Union in nearly every student role, from volunteering to executive leadership. These experiences have given her strong bottom-up understanding of how the organization serves students, and where there’s room to grow. Her campaign is grounded in three key pillars: Transparency, Listening, and Community.
She believes students deserve clear communication, accessible support and leadership that genuinely listens. She is committed to strengthening trust, amplifying student voices and creating a campus were everyone feels welcomed and proud to belong. She is excited to work alongside students to continue building a Laurier that reflects their voices, needs, and experiences!
Note: This Platform was taken from the Students’ Union Website. The portraits were taken from Students’ Union Website
Contributed Graphic/ Anna Koehler
