Jon Cardinal ’08 knew he wanted to be involved in student government before he ever set foot on campus.

“In high school, I developed a passion for politics, and student government seemed like an obvious organization to join in order to unleash my passion and make my mark on campus,” Jon says. 

Jon, an Ogdensburg, NY, native and Ogdensburg Free Academy graduate, is a government major who was elected president of the Thelomathesian Society, St. Lawrence’s student government organization, as a sophomore.  “What I most enjoyed about being president was the opportunity to inspire the student body to look beyond the University’s walls and provide hope and help to the disadvantaged and underserved of the North Country,” Jon explains.  “I felt that it was only right for our student government as the representative voice of the student body to live up to the generosity, thoughtfulness and compassion of our students and give back to the region we all call our home for eight months of the year.” 

By the end of Jon’s term, “Thelmo” had donated $2,000 to fight local poverty; donated to the Canton Fire Department; initiated Project Democracy, a sustained dialog on North Country issues that brings together local residents, students and faculty; and increased funding to a student group that works with local at-risk youth.

At St. Lawrence, Jon participates in SLU Democrats, SLU ACT, and Democracy Matters.  Beyond St. Lawrence, he is the North Country regional director for the New York State College Democrats; an elected member of the Ogdensburg Democratic Committee; a member of the Roosevelt Institution, which he describes as a “student think tank”; a national board member of the non-profit College Outreach; and a board member of the Communities that Care Coalition.