One of Colton Rodano’s most memorable moments from his time at the University of Montevallo was being sworn in as Student Government Association president. The senior, now serving as president for a second year, was overcome with emotion as his predecessor, Cody Hodge, handed him the gavel.
“That was kind of awesome to me because I’ve been friends with Cody since our freshman year,” Rodano said. “I teared up a little bit, but I really appreciated it.”
Hailing from Guin, Alabama, Rodano’s journey with SGA began his sophomore year as a College of Arts and Sciences senator. With a goal of joining the executive cabinet to expand on SGA’s capabilities, he was elected the next year as president pro tempore, which is the liaison between senate and executive cabinet. After a successful year in that position, he decided to run for president.
“I felt like I might be able to get it, and in that position, I’d be able to speak with faculty and staff about things that students told me they were interested in seeing change or added on campus,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to represent my peers, and they gave me the opportunity, which I’m grateful for. And now I’m doing it for a second year.”
As for his presidential goals for this year, there is one that he likes to emphasize.
“I want to give a better speech at College Night,” he said. “I had fun with it, but I always want to do better. I love College Night and I loved being able to be a part of that. The support that I got from my peers, faculty and alumni — it was just a great moment, and I definitely felt like I belonged.”
Rodano added, “I think that you should always strive for improvement. Wherever we can add a community service or student health event, or a new type of event that we haven’t hosted before, I want to give it a shot and see what we’re capable of. If we can add more to what SGA is capable of doing, then I feel like I’ve accomplished something.”
Choosing UM for its small class sizes and the chance to become more familiar with his professors, Rodano is majoring in political science and minoring in pre-law and business. He became interested in politics while watching and discussing political debates with his grandmother back in 2016.
“I decided that I wanted to get into politics to try to help people,” he said. “My goal is to carry forward the generosity that my grandmother showed me and to provide people that were in situations like I was in my hometown with opportunities that I didn’t get to have.”
Outside of SGA and his studies, Rodano is president of Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Honors Society and a member of the esports team and debate club. Set to graduate in May 2025, he plans to attend graduate school and start working in government.
“I have a passion for infrastructure and re-envisioning the way America designs its cities,” he said. “I’m pursuing a master’s in public administration in order to work in that specific field.”
Rodano encourages interested students to get involved with SGA, which he says is a valuable opportunity to gain leadership experience, represent your peers and have fun.
“It’s more than just leadership and representation — I’ve met many of my lifelong friends through it,” he said. “It’s just a great opportunity to make those friends and build those connections. And, for a lot of students that want to hear this, it looks great on a résumé.”
