10/23/2025

As President of the Student Government Association, sophomore Kathwari Honors Student Owen Ibey cares about community. He chose to attend WestConn for the wide array of opportunities available, from SGA to the Music program to his major in Political Science. The Kathwari Honors Program has been an important part of his experience. Ibey credits the program with opening up pathways to try new things outside of his major. It also gives him the chance to “branch out in the community, not only academically but also socially,” connecting with students across different majors through events like Honors Seminars.

Having participated in student government in high school, Ibey knew he wanted to be involved with SGA from the start. During his first year, he became an SGA Senator, which opened up new opportunities to learn from fellow student leaders. Ibey says that SGA has provided him with “avenues to succeed and meet people who support [him.]” Being around other leaders helps him figure out what characteristics he aspires to develop in order to hone his leadership skills.

SGA President Owen Ibey and Amanda Lasicki, Assistant Director of Financial Aid, spoke to CT LIVE about the importance of the Day of Service.

Ibey notes that the Day of Service and Homecoming are two of his favorite campus events because of how they help connect the full campus community, including students, staff, faculty, and families. For this year’s Day of Service, Ibey had the opportunity to speak on CT LIVE alongside Amanda Lasicki, Assistant Director of Financial Aid, about the importance of the event. Ibey describes this as an enlightening experience that showed him the impact that this campus has when united as a community. In the future, he hopes to encourage similar student involvement throughout the year. “Community is the driving force of our university,” Ibey says.

Ibey is also part of the Music Program, playing violin and serving as concert master in the orchestra. He values his experiences within the program, especially chamber ensembles, because the smaller setting allows for more connection between players and their audience. Ibey notes that music is all about connection, just like leadership.

In the future, Ibey would like to pursue a career that involves public service in some capacity. He says he would like to work with people and be someone who “connects with others to help people get what they need.” For next semester, Ibey is looking forward to the course Honors 298 – Model United Nations because of the focus on leadership within the Honors community. Overall, Ibey is grateful for his experiences so far, especially within the Kathwari Honors Program. He believes that WestConn is filled with opportunities that are accessible for students, as well as the chance to make strong connections across campus.