By By Janelle Henderson
Bill Brammell, the current Student Government Association President, was destined for politics.
The 21-year-old senior has grown up with politics his entire life: his dad Bill Brammell was a local attorney and his mother Ellie Brammell sat on the local school board.
“Sitting in a seminar is like sitting in my den. Most of [my family’s] conversations revolve around current events,” he said.
Brammell decided to begin his own journey with politics at U of L, working his way up from Freshman L.E.A.D. and A&S student council to his current stint as SGA president.
“I had the opportunity to change the way students looked and advocate their needs, and I felt I was capable of being a good advocate,” he said.
Dale Billingsley, the associate provost for Undergraduate Affairs, first met Brammell during interviews for the McConnell Center for Political Leadership program on campus and has witnessed first-hand Brammell’s growth as a leader.
“He can now support his enthusiasms with critically grounded, thoughtfully articulated arguments. He’s more skeptical, including skeptical about himself,” Billingsley said.
One person he’s not skeptical of is his political hero Robert Kennedy.
“I admire Robert Kennedy because he is ‘it’ when it comes to high moral standards and integrity, and he died doing the right thing,” he said.
He’s also fond of one of Kennedy’s statements: “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
Brammell is testing his skills as a leader right now by addressing many problems related to the SGA, including improving its infrastructure and cleaning up its image. He’s also tackling campus issues such as recycling, a student health fee proposal, campus child care and lighting the clock tower.
Brammell learns what students need most by building solid relationships with others, and being a Summer Orientation Staffer (SOSer) for two years didn’t hurt.
“Bill is involved on every level of campus. I think that his involvement with the SOSers has been his biggest accomplishment. To know that you affect the lives of people face to face is a great accomplishment,” said Nate Haney, the SGA executive vice president.
Sophomore Nicole Kersting first met Brammell at her freshman orientation; he was her SOSer. They met again when she was elected as the Resident Student Association president, and she said he has left a lasting impression on her.
“While I was really nervous to meet with Bill and talk to him, he made me feel very welcome in his office and like an equal. We connected on a personal level, as he is able to establish more than just a business relationship with the people he works with,” Kersting said. “I could tell in first meeting him that he was the right person for SGA president and that he cared about students on campus.”
“He’s that brother that gets on your nerves because he’s always pushing you to do your best and never lets you settle for less,” said Alicia Paez, SGA academic vice president. “He wants his friends to be great and does his best to motivate those around him.”
Brammell motivates himself by using his free time to read books and play pool. He also enjoys outdoor activities including hiking, fly fishing, and occasionally working in the wine brewery at his home in Henry County, Ky.
He doesn’t have cable television (he said he only watches the news) and said he’d rather have his nose stuck in a good book or a newspaper like The Economist, a British weekly publication focused on international politics and business news.
When he wants to party, he can always turn to his brothers in the Sigma Chi fraternity, but politics consumes most of Brammell’s time.
In 10 years, he wants to hold an elected office and be married with kids. He has aspirations to become the governor of Kentucky and a U.S. senator. But he won’t win without a good-natured campaign against Haney.
“It is clear that we will likely meet in an election some day – when and where is the question,” Haney said.
