Around the Plattsburgh State Student Association, she’s known as a problem-solver and a go-getter. She’s the bridge between the SA and every club on campus. She’s a budget guru who handles upwards of $1 million, making sure every cent was allocated properly in record time this semester. She’s Vice President of Finance Jessica Rappaport.
In addition to her duties as the Chair of the Finance Board, the junior history and political science major said the bulk of her spring semester was spent creating a budget that included every club and organization on campus.
“I talked with clubs on a daily basis,” Rappaport said.
Rappaport attended three meetings a week, some lasting for over five hours, for the majority of the semester. She was responsible for collecting a budget from each club on campus, adding up the numbers and then ensuring they correlated with the administration’s calculations.
“Jess has been a tremendous asset to the SA because of her determination and fairness. She had a very aggressive plan to get the budget passed very early in the semester and she succeeded in doing this without a single major problem,” SA Chief Justice Adam Saccardi said.
According to Rappaport, of all the SA members she works alongside, Saccardi has had the biggest influence on her.
“He has great self-discipline and strong willpower,” Rappaport said.
SA President Kevin Clayton said he first met Rappaport his freshman year and described her as “driven,” calling her work in the SA, specifically with the budget, “very admirable.”
Noting that she is persistent when it comes to solving tough problems, Clayton also said if Rappaport puts her mind to something “she is going to go out and get it done.”
“You can see it in all of the great work she has done with the budget. It’s really amazing what she has done,” Clayton said.
Although she has been praised for her work on the budget, Rappaport said that is not the only aspect of her job in the SA that she takes pride in. The gratuitous emails she receives on a daily basis from the organizations she works with and the positive feedback also provide a sense of accomplishment.
“Outside of the budget process, she has gone above and beyond to make herself available to clubs in order to ensure that they are able to put their events on successfully and responsibly,” Saccardi said.
“I am there to serve the students,” Rappaport said.
When she’s not in one of the many meetings she attends daily or sifting through a stack of paperwork on her desk, Rappaport enjoys running, especially in downtown Plattsburgh, a place she described as beautiful.
Rappaport attended Sanford H. Calhoun high school in Merrick, was a two-sport athlete, competing on both the soccer team and the track team for all four years. In the classroom, her favorite subject to study was history.
After college, Rappaport said she may consider entering the finance field but as of right now, she does not have a set plan and is keeping her options open.
As for her time spent in the SA, Rappaport said she believes in the future it will benefit her regardless of her career path because she “got a lot of experience with problem solving.”
“Overall I think she has done an exceptional job as VP,” Saccardi said. “It has been a privilege to watch her work.”
Email Thomas Marble at thomas.marble@cardinalpointsonline.com
