SESP junior Sumaia Masoom stepped down from her position as Associated Student Government co-vice president for student life, saying she wanted to prioritize her personal health.

Masoom spoke at Senate on Wednesday about her experiences in ASG last spring, when she fought through two confirmation hearings in what she said was a “skeptical and downright hostile” Senate. During the first hearing, some senators took issue with her involvement with Northwestern Divest, and Senate rejected her nomination.

Masoom was renominated at the next week’s Senate, however, when she was confirmed by a vote of 28-8-1. Masoom said she entered the position late Spring Quarter with great passion and many ideas for what she hoped to accomplish and change at NU.

In her efforts to change NU, though, Masoom said she neglected to take the time to recognize and account for changes in her life.

“I have spent the last quarter and the summer promoting a platform of self-care, pushing to detoxify campus culture and being the world’s biggest hypocrite in putting my own mental health and emotional stability last — all for what, at the end of the day, is a student group,” Masoom said at Senate.

Masoom told The Daily her decision had less to do with what happened last year during her nomination process and more with practicing what she preaches. She said self-care and self-love are not just important, but necessary, and more valuable than any political statement she could ever put out.

“I was really afraid that people who didn’t want me in this position at first would take this as a win,” Masoom told The Daily. “But I realize my mental health and my emotional stability are so much more important than any political statement.”

Weinberg senior Isaac Rappoport, ASG chief of staff, told Senate applications for a second co-vice president for student life will go live later Wednesday night.

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