In 2012-2013, Marissa West will become the first woman to represent the FAMU student body on the university Board of Trustees since Monique Gillum.West, a Chicago native who currently serves as president of the Student Senate, is the new student body president-elect. Her vice-president will be Michael Jefferson, the chief of staff for current FAMU Student Body President Breyon Love.
Both were among the 1,200 students who marched with Love on Dec. 15 to protest Gov. Rick Scott's attempt to pressure FAMU trustees to suspend President James H. Ammons.
"I would definitely say that he's overstepped his bounds," West told the Miami Herald that evening. "Our Board of Trustees is more than capable of making this decision."
She added that she was offended when Scott told the FAMU students he could relate to them because he grew up in a poor family that lived in public housing.
West is a member of the Beta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Jefferson is a member of the Alpha Eta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.