The Michigan Daily has named Ford School BA senior Kevin Mersol-Barg (BA '14) a Student of the Year. Each year, the campus paper's managing editors cull eleven finalists from dozens of nominated students who have had a positive impact at the University.
Mersol-Barg has become widely known across campus for his "impressive collection of experiences," which include working as a columnist for the Michigan Daily, running for president of the Central Student Government, and, significantly, founding the Coalition for Tuition Equality (CTE) in 2011.
CTE is "a group of affiliated human rights organizations whose mission is to extend in-state tuition towards undocumented students in Michigan"—a goal that was finally realized on July 18 when the University's Board of Regents voted to extend the rights of in-state tuition to veterans from any state and to the more than 29,000 undocumented students residing in the state of Michigan.
Mersol-Barg notes that he is perhaps most successful at encouraging collaboration.
"Instead of imposing my rule on this group, I've kind of brought together a lot of other brilliant people and found a way for all of us to work toward this common cause," Mersol-Barg said.
Photo: Terra Molengraff/Michigan Daily