executive

Vice President External – Biography

Vice President External – Biography 150 150 admin

Mahad Rzain, Vice President External

Mahad Rzain is a fourth year Law and Society student at the University of Calgary. He is extremely grateful to have been elected as the Vice President External of the Students’ Union during the 2026 Students’ Union General Election. Now having been granted the task of representing students for the 2026 – 2027 year, Mahad is eager to give it his all. He is very passionate about helping students and strives to be a positive face available to support them.

Having served as one of the Faculty of Arts Representatives with the Students’ Union last year, he hosted virtual office hours, worked on student guides and consistently sought to improve the student experience within the Faculty of Arts. Mahad was also the Vice President External for the Muslim Students’ Association last year. He organized inclusive events and ensured that students got involved in sharing their voice in the political process. He is also grateful to be part of the Fourteenth cohort of the Scholars Academy Program.

This year, Mahad is enthusiastic about advocating for ways to alleviate the burden that students face in regard to university tuition and the cost of living. He also aims to advocate for more access to affordable housing, transit, and employment opportunities. He intends to report on his activities to maintain accountability and transparency. Additionally, he desires to connect with students and enhance their engagement in the political system. He is also interested in improving and generating awareness for mental health resources catered to students. Finally, he is exuberant about crafting various student guides to simplify information on housing and employment, involvement in the political system, and mental health resources.

In his free time, Mahad enjoys spending time with his family and playing soccer. As a proud Pakistani and Muslim, he is also an active member of his religious community. He endeavours to attend events and constantly improve himself in his spiritual development.

President – Biography

President – Biography 150 150 admin

Gabriela Dziegielewska, President

Gabriela is a student in the Faculty of Science, pursuing a combined major in Chemistry and Geophysics with a minor in Computer Science. She currently serves as the Students’ Union President.

Gabriela previously served as a Faculty of Science Representative in 2024-2025 and as Vice President Academic in 2025-2026. During her time as an elected official, she has advocated for the broader adoption of flexible deadlines, increased accessibility to undergraduate research opportunities, and the protection of students’ academic rights in cases involving violations of the University’s academic regulations by faculty.

Prior to her involvement in the Students’ Union, Gabriela worked as a staffer to the provincial Critic for Health, where she conducted extensive casework, particularly in the areas of health care, social services, and immigration. This experience sparked her interest in public policy.

Born and raised in Poland, Gabriela has a strong interest in Polish history and political movements. In her spare time, she enjoys reading about the Polish School of Posters, as well as learning garment construction and furniture restoration.

Vice President Academic Biography

Vice President Academic Biography 150 150 admin

Zoe Zeritsch, Vice President Academic

Zoe is a student in the Faculty of Science pursuing an honors biochemistry degree. She currently serves as the 84th Students’ Union Vice President Academic.

In her time at the University of Calgary so far, she has been invested in how academic policy, clarity, and accessibility plays a role in the post-secondary experience. In her own experience, she has seen advising struggles, deadline concerns, and those around her struggle with their academic careers. This is the motivation that inspired her to want to make a change.

Zoe grew up in Calgary. A lot of her childhood was spent in choir rehearsals or playing volleyball, before landing at the University of Calgary with hopes to pursue pharmaceutical research. In her free time, Zoe likes to spend time with friends, crochet, and play overly complicated board games.

Most importantly, she is excited to represent students and ensure everyone gets a fair chance to learn.