Get to know K-State’s next student leaders: Christian Peña and Caden Bastian
By Ashley Pauls and Tim Schrag '12
K-State Alumni Association
When Christian Peña first met Caden Bastian for coffee to discuss if they’d like to
run for office together, the K-State students did not know each other very well.
However, through their conversation, they realized they had a similar vision for the
future of K-State. They decided to campaign together, and in early 2026 they were
elected to serve as the next student body president and vice president of K-State.
And even beyond that, they’ve become close friends.
“Christian is one of my really good buddies,” Bastian says. “We know when to have
fun, we know when to work, so whenever we're sitting in the office, we can really
get down and get a lot of our stuff done. But also outside of that, I think it's important
to build a bond, not only in the workplace.”
Get to know more about K-State’s next student body leaders through our profiles below:
Meet Christian Peña
Junior Christian Peña grew up in Sublette, Kansas. Due to a rare heart condition,
he was not able to play any contact sports, but found other ways to get involved in
extracurricular activities in his community. In high school, he played golf and even
started his own lawn and landscaping business.
He belongs to a family of K-State fans, and he has many fond memories of game day
weekends in Manhattan. Although he explored other educational options, K-State ultimately
felt like the right fit for him.
“I decided that, ‘I’m gonna go on this tour of K-State.’ And within just a few minutes
of being here, I found some familiar faces,” Peña recalls. “I was like, ‘This is where
I need to be.’ And ever since I've spent my time here at K-State, I've never doubted
one time the decision that I made. I've always appreciated the atmosphere and the
small town feel that campus provides, and even the city of Manhattan. It's really
unique, just how much everyone here in Manhattan loves purple and loves the Wildcats.”
As a proud FFA member (even serving a term as state president), it’s no surprise that
Peña decided to study agricultural education at K-State and to continue seeking out
opportunities for service and leadership.
He remembers watching Paige Vulgamore and Jack O’Malley run for student office in 2024 and being inspired by their example. He got more involved in K-State’s Student Governing Association, serving as a senator
last year for the College of Agriculture.
“You can't take it for granted,” he said of the opportunity to fulfill a student leadership
role. “There's a lot of other students who would do the same thing just as well. And
so making sure that throughout this time we're also always willing to show up and
do what's best for everyone around us.”
One of his primary goals as the new student body president is to raise awareness among
students about the Next-Gen K-State Strategic Plan and how it will improve the campus experience. He’s particularly excited about the
emphasis on applied learning experiences that empower students to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and put it into
action.
“The administration really listens to what students have to say, and students have
an opportunity to make a lot of change, not just within campus, but even in the Manhattan
area,” Peña said.
After graduation, he plans to return to southwest Kansas and one day take over his
family’s aggregate and dirt construction business. He wants to give back to his hometown
community in the same way that it — and K-State — have helped him.
“I remember growing up, I wouldn't have come to school and I wouldn't have been able
to take part in the opportunities that I've gotten without a community who is also
backing me,” Peña said. “That time was what has shaped me into who I am, and the values
that our town speaks for, and how we can continue to bring that wherever we go, and
being able to go back and serve in whatever capacity that is, whether that's on committees
or boards within our county and city. Even if that's just running a business that
employs those people, that's something that's super special to me, and how I can continue
to give back in any way.”
Meet Caden Bastian
Caden Bastian is originally from Valley Center, Kansas, and like Peña, he is a junior
at K-State. Although he did not grow up surrounded by a family of K-Staters, he found
himself drawn to this university.
“It's the only school I applied to, the only school that I toured,” Bastian said.
He got involved in a fraternity on campus, Delta Sigma Phi, and served as head of
the philanthropy team and then chapter president. He also sits on the Interfraternity
Council, as the executive vice president. These experiences have taught him more about
leadership, time management and budgeting.
Running for the office of student body vice president was Bastian’s first role within
K-State’s SGA.
“When Christian and I sat down, we really had the same vision for a lot of what's
going on, on campus, and a lot that we want to see in the future. So the decision
to run was really easy once I talked to him; although we did not come from the same
backgrounds, we really did agree on a lot of what we saw here on campus, the things
that we're doing well and also things we can improve on.
“Whenever we left Bluestem, it took me about an hour,” Bastian recalls. “I called
both my parents and then called him back and I said, ‘Let's do this thing.’”
During his time in office, Bastian hopes to strengthen the connection between SGA
and the broader K-State community. Coming from a background of congressional internships,
Bastian saw that there were a number of ways for constituents to get in contact with
their government representatives: phone calls, emails, town halls, etc.
“We're actively listening to students, but also encouraging a lot more participation
in student government through town halls,” Bastian said. “One of our big initiatives
is called coffee hours. So that's the time when Christian and I would go to different
programs here at K-State that our tuition directly funds. And then we would go there
for an hour/hour and a half, and just sit down and talk with students as they're coming
in and out: like, for instance, Dole Hall, to go get your headshot taken. Christian
and I sat there, just chatted with students that were going to get their headshot
taken and put on their LinkedIn.
“If there's one thing that we want students to know, it's not that Christian and I
are sitting in these roles because we want to be student body president, student body
vice president. We're sitting in those roles because we want to be your voice, and
we want to actively work on campus to see the success of each and every student, not
just a certain few.”
As a political science and history major, Bastian’s original goal was to attend law
school after graduating from college. However, as his interests have evolved during
his time at K-State, he now sees himself drawn to a career in public policy or government.
“Whether that means I'm in D.C. or here in the state, only time will tell,” Bastian
said. “I guess I’ve got a year to figure that out. So yeah, we'll see exactly where.
I think doing something in federal government really interests me; policy work is
something I think is really important. So serving — not only again, like here at K-State,
serving students — but in the broader scheme of things, if that would be a route I
take, serving Kansas would be really important to me.”
Learn more about K-State's Student Governing Association.
