By William Wieters
The Owen Student Government Association (OSGA) represents more than just the Vanderbilt MBA program—it is the voice of all Vanderbilt Business students, serving as the link between programs, faculty, staff, and the greater community. This year, Aaron Varella and Dale Anderson (both MBA’26) are leading the charge, building on their shared commitment to inclusivity, collaboration, and celebration.
Converging paths to OSGA leadership
Aaron Varella, President of OSGA
Before they ever appeared on a ballot, both Varella and Anderson were regulars in the Academic and Student Affairs (ASA) office, informally troubleshooting challenges their classmates faced.
“During the first two mods of school I was fortunate to develop relationships with my fellow classmates, while also having a strong connection with the ASA team,” Anderson recalled. “With my classmates, we discussed our experiences, and I somehow found myself back in the ASA sharing these stories and my ideas for solutions. Ironically, Aaron [Varella] and I were in these same circles… If the two of us were working to assist our fellow students in the informal sense, then making the transition to officially represent the student body was the next logical step.”
For Varella, the spark was meeting people and hearing their stories. “Similar to Dale [Anderson], one of my personal goals was to meet as many classmates as possible the first two mods,” he said. “I enjoyed getting to know classmates from across the country and world, who have vastly different lived experiences, but common threads and shared similar values brings us closer. The previous OSGA did great things in our first year, but we saw many opportunities to further bring our community together.”
A team built on complementary strengths
While they share similar values around showing up for others, Varella and Anderson have different approaches that often lead to better results.
Dale Anderson, Executive VP of OSGA
“We both have similar values on community and how to show up for others,” they agreed. “Even though at first, we may disagree on how to approach a problem, we are able to see each other’s viewpoint often creating a better solution in the middle or a new one entirely. We are big believers in having fun and enjoying our student experience but also doing amazing, impactful work.”
Varella describes their shared strength as the ability to connect with anyone. “We have similar personalities in being able to go up to anyone and asking them questions about their story and life experiences. We both can break down ‘barriers’ with individuals quickly because we are both genuinely interested in learning more about our classmates.”
Anderson, meanwhile, gives Varella credit as “the ‘Master’ at planning, communication, and development,” adding, “I complement him by assisting in executing the plans, distributing and refining the communication, and we collaborate on strategy development. On a less serious note, I am Aaron [Varella]’s personal spell check, it keeps me happily employed.”
A vision for connection
Their campaign platform was simple but ambitious: further community building, amplifying voices and feedback, and supporting and celebrating Owen students.
“Our goal for OSGA is to bring our community together through the events we host by fostering relationships across the different programs,” they said. “We hope to also be a channel for any feedback or concerns the student body has. Lastly, we want to celebrate our graduating classes, while ensuring the incoming students have a great start to their experience.”
One of their biggest initiatives, the Big Book of Student Leaders, will highlight every OSGA officer and club leader across Owen’s 30+ organizations. “By sharing this booklet, we hope the community will be able to set the foundation of relationships for years to come,” Varella explained.
Other plans include a large community volunteer event involving all master’s programs and staff, and more direct coordination between OSGA and club leaders to make events more impactful.
Leading with inclusivity
Inclusivity is not just a buzzword for Varella and Anderson—it is built into how they have structured their leadership team.
“We made intentional decisions to choose a wide-varying of peers who could lead as VPs,” they said. “We are proud our OSGA leadership board representation spans across many ethnic, professional and personal groups at Owen. Our goal is to make sure the international student community feels seen, heard and a voice at the table if there is any questions or concerns.”
Lessons, surprises and the year ahead
Even early in their term, they have learned a lot about leading within the Owen community.
“From early conversations, Owen students, faculty and staff want to get involved,” Varella said. “They have great ideas. We have an opportunity to make more of those connections and providing them a channel to do so.”
Anderson added, “I’m energized by the amount of ideas that not only our OSGA team has, but from other individuals within Owen, whether they hold a formal leadership position or not. From grassroots initiatives, to formalized student competitions, and then on-campus networking events, each student contributes to the entire Owen community.”
The biggest surprise so far? “The sheer amount of finance-related activities we need to assess, process, and determine funding allocations,” they admitted. “Fortunately, our finance team is amazing, and we are extremely grateful for them.”
OSGA outside the office
While their leadership work keeps them busy, both make time for the lighter side of life in Nashville.
For Varella, that means grabbing Thai food at DegThai. Anderson’s pick? “The Chili’s on West End is the best in town—way better than DegThai,” he joked. “It’s also the perfect meetup spot before any Vanderbilt game.”
With their mix of vision, approachability, and humor, Varella and Anderson are set to guide OSGA through a year focused on connection, celebration, and ensuring every voice at Owen has a seat at the table.