Senior Spotlight: Emma Davey’s Presidential Perspective

This piece is part of our Senior Stories series, in which we highlight GU students throughout the year.

Name: Emma Davey
Major: Political Science | Minors: Social Justice & Solidarity; Digital Marketing
Hometown: Gilbert, Arizona

Emma Davey (’27) has been a Zag for her entire life. The daughter of two Zags, she grew up watching men’s basketball games, paying visits to campus, and cringing every time her parents shouted “Go Zags!” at random strangers wearing Gonzaga merchandise in the grocery store.

“I have so many good memories of Gonzaga bringing people together,” Davey says. “As I got older, I started to truly realize the power of the Gonzaga community.”

When it came time for Davey to tour schools and make her ultimate college decision, she found herself comparing every amenity, every academic program, and every involvement opportunity to those available at Gonzaga. She took it as a sign to honor her parents’ legacy, enrolling as a political science major with dreams of becoming a lawyer.

“I feel like my main goal is to help people,” Davey says. “Part of that involves being informed about American politics and then using that knowledge to create change.”

Davey’s desire to help others through political engagement arose pre-Gonzaga, when she served as speaker of the house—the equivalent of student body president at her small high school. This experience forced Davey out of her comfort zone and into various positions within the Gonzaga Student Body Association (GSBA); most notably, as Gonzaga’s student body president this year.

“I sat on the Student Media board, designed over 300 graphics as graphics manager, and went to the National Student Government Summit in Washington D.C. as a sophomore,” Davey recalls. “I think that trip made me realize that this was something I really enjoyed and wanted to keep doing at Gonzaga.”

As a junior, Davey served as a GSBA representative abroad in Florence, Italy. The following semester, back in Spokane, she was hired as Inclusivity Coordinator on the association’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Team. These roles, along with support from her peers, friends, and family members, motivated Davey to run for president.

“I want to have hard conversations, and answer questions that are confusing students on campus,” Davey says. “I've been encouraging my team to invite dialogue, take on concerns, and get more comfortable sitting with other people in their confusion.”

In addition to making her administration more visible and accessible, Davey has been working to reinstate the Security Council first established in 2013. With the help of Kent Porterfield, vice provost of Student Affairs, and Philip Tyler, interim director of Campus Security and Public Safety, Davey has developed a task force to evaluate campus safety under three pillars: education, communication, and involvement.

“If students are confident that their concerns will be addressed at the administrative level, relationships between students, campus security, and the Logan neighborhood will improve,” Davey says. “We want to have more holistic conversations about safety because while physical safety is very important, mental safety and social safety should also be considered.”

Beyond the classroom and her third-floor office in the John J. Hemmingson Center, Davey is an avid intramural athlete. Over the last three years, she has competed on approximately 30 teams and won 10 championships. Davey is also a former Seton of Gonzaga and previously worked as a marketing intern for Gonzaga Athletics.

In the future, Davey still hopes to pursue a career in law, carrying forward a commitment to advocacy. She is especially interested in public policy law and public interest law. Davey also expects to continue applying her marketing knowledge to graphic design and other creative projects.

“Now, I’m the one who is happy to call out to a Zag in the grocery store,” Davey admits. “I’m a more confident, outgoing version of myself, and I wouldn’t change anything about my Gonzaga experience for the world.”