UC Berkeley freshman Liam Will announced his independent candidacy for ASUC Senate in the 2019 elections.

Because he grew up in a military household, Will, who is studying business administration and political science, has lived in different parts of the world — Berkeley is where he has stayed the longest. Now he wants to make sure that all students find the support he found.

His candidate platform focuses on awareness and outreach for student resources including the Basic Needs Center, the Food Pantry and the Berkeley Student Cooperative in addition to creating an inclusive environment for international students and students of color.

“If people are raising awareness on these pressing issues on campus, I think that’s what matters most,” Will said. “If I personally don’t get elected in ASUC, I’d love to work with them. We are all with the same goal.”

Will, who has been endorsed by the Blue & Gold Yearbook, said he wants every new campus student to be aware of housing and food programs, including CalFresh and the campus Food Pantry, by the end of their first year.

As an out-of-state student who attended school in U.S. territories overseas, Will said he empathizes with the cultural struggles of international students. He also aims to prioritize student-led and student-of-color businesses and integrate POC history into campus media publications.

“In my office, Liam has always been eager to tackle new projects and has helped with multiple initiatives,” said ASUC Senator Anna Whitney in an email. “He seeks to accomplish many things and is clearly hardworking.”

Jasmine Sheena, another independent senate candidate, agreed to be Will’s running mate because the two candidates share similar ideals. Will added that should only one of them be elected, the other will help adopt both candidates’ initiatives.

“Liam’s always been a really down-to-earth, nice and caring dude,” Sheena said. “He’s very much in touch with the needs of the community.”

Voting for the ASUC elections will be held April 8, 9 and 10.