Colby Manrodt, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, is Florida Polytechnic University’s new Student Government Association president.
Connection, communication and advocacy are Colby Manrodt’s top goals as the new president of Florida Polytechnic University’s Student Government Association.
“I think our University is in a period of transitioning and going through a lot of change, so we are going to focus this year on bringing better forms of communication to our student body,” said Manrodt, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering. “I like that SGA is a resource for students to get an understanding of where the University is heading and give input into what that’s going to look like.”
To move forward, Manrodt and the SGA have studied how student government organizations at other universities operate and have drawn inspiration from their successes.
“We’re really excited about possibly starting a podcast to be able to ask the questions that students want to ask our administration,” he said. “This will also give the administration a platform to share their vision and explain the why behind some of the changes being made, so that students see where their investments of time and resources are going.”
To further the evolution of SGA at Florida Poly, the organization is working to build its internal and external connections.
“We’re educating the different departments about what SGA is and what their role is so that we can continue to grow on that,” Manrodt said. “We’re also really building connections with other student body presidents so that we can collaborate more effectively and when new leaders come in each year, we have those other leaders in the state of Florida who can speak wisdom into the role they’re coming into.”
Leadership is second nature for the Sarasota Military Academy graduate. Prior to becoming president, Manrodt was the SGA’s chief of staff during the 2023-2024 academic year, and student media director in 2024-2025. He said these leadership roles, along with his work mentoring students through NASA’s L’SPACE Program, prepared him to step into the position of student body president.
As SGA president, Manrodt also serves as the student representative on the University’s Board of Trustees.
“It’s an incredible honor to be able to sit on a board with such incredible people who have so much care and passion for Florida Poly,” he said. “I’m really excited to get to represent our students at the Board of Trustees meetings and to gain the resources, support and guidance we need to best push our University forward.”
Above all, Manrodt said he is eager to let every Phoenix know SGA is there to help.
“We wouldn't have a job without them, and we are students ourselves, so we understand students’ stress and concerns because we live them out, too,” he said. “We want to let students know that our door is open and we're friendly faces to stop on the sidewalk or in the hallways. We’re 100% here for them.”
Contact:
Lydia Guzmán
Director of Communications
863-874-8557
