Student Government Board announced the resignation of board member Alison Linares Mendoza in an Instagram post on Dec. 19. 

“Although it was a very hard decision to make, after being accepted into a semester-long study abroad program, I have decided to step down from my position,” Linares Mendoza said in the post. “I am so thankful to have been elected to this position and very honored to have had a chance to work along with the rest of the board on our initiatives. Please know I continue to value making Pitt a better place for everyone and will continue to support any initiative with that goal in mind.”

Linares Mendoza, a junior industrial engineering major, said when running for office that she wanted to bring environmentally focused student organizations together to discuss how Pitt can improve sustainability efforts. She received the fourth-most votes during the election. 

President Danielle Floyd said although she’s sad to see Linares Mendoza leave, she is excited for Linares Mendoza’s exciting study abroad opportunity.

“Over the fall term, Alison’s dedication to serving the student body through supporting international students and improving the financial literacy of undergraduates has embodied the very mission of our organization — to promote the concerns, interests, needs, and welfare of the student body of the Pittsburgh campus,” Floyd said.  

SGB’s Instagram post said current board members will vote on a new board member soon and Floyd would outline the procedure in the following weeks. SGB appointed Ryan Young to fill a different vacant board position in September — left by the resignation of board member Celeste Lintz — after two rounds of public interviews.

Candidates must be full-time students in good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5, and not under judicial hold.