Dev Kachiwala and Zackary Machado are running for director of academic affairs in the 2024 Associated Students general election. To read more about each candidate, see below.
Dev Kachiwala
Dev Kachiwala is running for the position of director of academic affairs in the Associated Students elections. Kachiwala is an international student in his third year, and a major in chemistry with a minor in business administration.
“This role fits me exactly,” Kachiwala said. “It’s a good opportunity for a lot of leaders. I’ve been under a lot of leadership positions on campus, and it’s a really good place to be involved. Also, I want to make an impact on the whole campus. We have a lot of academic resources on campus, and I love helping people out.”
Kachiwala has taken numerous opportunities to lead students on campus.
“I was a summer orientation leader for CSU Chico. I helped out all of the incoming freshmen and transfer students, and I was with University Housing as a resident advisor and front desk attendant,” said Kachiwala.
Currently, Kachiwala works for the Office of International Education and Global Engagement, and he helps international students as an international student ambassador, an immigration program assistant, and as the International Wildcat Program leader.
“I am an international student ambassador, so I help out every new international student. We have a program for students who are new to the United States and Chico State campus, and we do programs and events to make them feel at home,” Kachiwala said.
If elected, Kachiwala said he wants to advocate for students regarding the raise in tuition. As an international student who pays out-of-state tuition, Kachiwala feels a concern he believes is shared by many students.
Kachiwala would also like to raise awareness to students about the wide range of resources available to them.
“As compared to other CSUs, we have a lot of academic resources on campus, and I think we are already running after new academic resources but neglecting what we have,” Kachiwala said.
He hopes to help students make the best use of what the school offers already by organizing events and programs that highlight current resources even as the school strives for even more academic resources.
A challenge might come for Kachiwala as he moves into a new position that was held by somebody who has had a different way of doing things. But Kachiwala expects that he will settle in quickly.
“The best part about it is as soon as I’m in, I know exactly where to go. I’ll have a committee with all the senators of all the seven colleges that we have on campus. So, I want to make sure that every voice is heard,” Kachiwala said.
“I am an international student from India. I moved out of another country to go to college, to Chico,” Kachiwala said.
“Chico State has provided me with so many things that I can finally say it’s my home, and it doesn’t feel like I’m away from my family because this is my family,” Kachiwala said “I found my family, I found my people, and Chico State is my home.”
For information on Kachiwala and his campaign, go to his Instagram page or go here.
Zackary Machado was reached out to, but a response was not received.
For more information on Machado and his campaign, go to his Instagram page or go here.
To learn more about the director of academic affairs duties, go here.
Voting for the 2024 AS general elections will open on April 4 at 8 a.m. and will close on April 5 at 8 a.m.
A link will be sent out to all Chico State students via school emails when voting opens.
Amy Blair can be reached at [email protected].
