Associated Students Candidate Profiles 2021-2022

A.S. PRESIDENT CANDIDATES

Headshot provided by Joshua Elizondo.

Independent Candidate

Joshua Elizondo

“As the current student trustee, I’ve been able to get an understanding of how student government works and how the college works as a whole. I realized that there was nobody running for either president or Vice President positions and being someone who knows and wants to be able to create other leaders in the community, I felt that my skills were best used at really leading the helm of AS through the transition back on campus, the vacancies, and a lot of the challenges that will be present.”

“I am someone who is very diversified in my experience of life, I am part of Guardian Scholars, I am part of EOPS, Adalante, I have many different majors and if everything goes well this semester I’ll have 9 Associates Degrees from SMC. I know the education, I know it in wide areas, I have STEM and Film degrees, I have a very wide range of what the college looks like to different students and am accurately able to assess a large pool of the student population to know what a leader should be for them. I also know that I don’t know everything and I am willing to talk to people and be an open door and communicative to the students, because as a leader I am the voice to the student population and my job at the end of the day is to make sure everybody’s voice is being heard.”

“I want to support the other directors and the initiatives that they see and feel are important to them, I will have my own personal things such as continuing to support the special programs, and then some other things I’m passionate about are sustainability and housing for students. I know that there is a large renovation at the school in the next couple years beyond what is already happening on campus. Part of that is going to be some vacant land and I am advocating for them to rebuild housing for students as some other community colleges have been doing.”

“I really want to make sure the student voice is being heard and steer that conversation in the future. The college is going through a major transition, COVID really put a major wrench in a lot of aspects of student life. Coming back, there is the question between do we go back to what we were or do we go back to what we were or do we create a new system based on what we’ve learned over the past year?” “I am very firmly planted in the idea that we have to adapt and change the way things have been done. Offering more classes online, offering zoom conferences with counselors instead of in person meetings, and most importantly meet every students need before and after the pandemic.”

student trustee candidates

Independent Candidate

Ali Shirvani

“The goals that I would like to accomplish as a student trustee would be to bring awareness to various social and environmental issues that affect students on a daily basis such as climate change and systemic racism. I hope to bring about this awareness through the experience and information I have garnered through various ecological, environmental, governmental, and political platforms. I look forward to collaborating with both administration and students in a team setting in order to accomplish these goals.”

*This quote was submitted by the candidate to the Santa Monica College Associated Students Elections webpage. This candidate was contacted by The Corsair staff for an interview and either did not respond or declined to be interviewed.

Headshot provided by Ali Shirvani.

A.S. secretary CANDIDATES

Headshot provided by Anzhi (Felix) Wei.

Independent Candidate

Anzhi (Felix) Wei

“I will shoulder the responsibility of serving and communication as a bridge between school and international students. Don't give up when faced with difficulties, but work out solutions and share ideas with other members. There are many international students at Santa Monica College, but their voices and ideas are often not implemented and realized. I want to bring more possibilities for A.S. and give voice to international students through my participation, so that they can have a different and immersive college life in the current epidemic.”

A.S. Director of Budget Management Candidates

Independent Candidate

David Cho

“My goal is to hone my leadership skills by embracing your concerns and work towards achieving solutions. By becoming your Director of Budget Management, I plan to sharpen my leadership abilities as well as accumulate more experience regarding finance. As your Director of Budget Management, I will follow the fiscal policy and serve the students in any possible form. Being able to be a part of the SMC community showed me how a wonderful community it is as well as its potential.”

Headshot of David Cho. (Marco Pallotti | The Corsair)

A.S. Director of Student Assistance Candidates

Headshot of Jeanine Grimes. (Marco Pallotti | The Corsair)

Slate: Empower. Our. Future.

Jeanine Grimes

“Recently, this past year I was the AS commissioner for student assistance, and while doing projects with the director, I’ve learned that as a first-generation student that there are other students who don’t know about these programs and resources like tutoring and mental health resources. I think I will be the perfect candidate to connect students like me who are first-generation students to be able to access these resources and by that I intend to spread awareness and create social media campaigns.”

“My primary goal would be to elaborate on my view that education should be accessible and have an equitable community as education is key to success. I think that there are so many students that think their voice doesn’t matter or opinions don't make a difference and I want to make sure every student knows that we understand and we’re here for you and want to hear about your struggles and experiences. I want them to acknowledge that they’re not alone and I know the struggle.”

“I want to spread awareness through our social media campaign since we’re online. It would be the perfect way to have students get informed. I know that there are a lot of students involved with clubs and that’s a perfect way as well, and I intend to work with counseling programs as I know they do workshops and that’s key to my objectives. I know how some counseling programs offer some extra credit for workshops for classes and that is also one of my objectives.”

“People should care about student government because it’s a way to let students know that we’re there [for support] and know that you’re not just an individual at a school, but we want to know you’re perspective on how you feel at SMC as a student and through these resources, not only are you able to learn about these benefits, but you’re able to succeed as a student through tutoring because that has helped me with my first semester in college and I hope other students are able to take advantage. Equity and a community that’s accessible is very important because education is a right and we need these resources where we are able to strive as students and able to build a community where students know that they can contact other students that have had similar experience and know that they are not alone through this process.”

Headshot of Alyse Tainter. (Marco Pallotti | The Corsair)

Independent Candidate

Alyse Tainter

“Engagement, getting students involved would be my top priority. SMC is a very tight community and it is involved but we can raise that even more, whether it's more workshops or promoting forums where students can get together and hang out… If they are struggling with anything during quarantine, mental illness, or just life in general - promoting students to get more involved and work together…it takes a village to become successful, and if you need those students to lean on, the student government should be there and we will be… Student government is something that all students should be aware of because we are their allies. If you don’t know where to turn, you can always go to student government [for] extra resources.”

“I had a lot of trouble myself within the first semester at SMC, being online was difficult, and I didn’t know where to turn for Financial Aid questions…I quickly realized that I didn’t know about all the resources that SMC offers until I really sought them out so if I got this position I want to help students by connecting them to the programs that might help them.”

“I am an out-of-state student from Wisconsin, so moving here in the time of a deadly pandemic was pretty wild and I didn’t know who to turn to. Now I am finding my way and I want others to know that they can relate to me and that they are not alone in these situations… I am very diverse and I take a lot of pride in my Native American heritage. I’ve dealt with adversity before and I am compassionate enough to relate to students on a deeper level.”

A.S. DIRECTOR OF STUDENT OUTREACH CANDIDATES

Slate: Empower. Our. Future.

Rosbeli Gonzalez

“It's important to create an environment that is adequate for students of all backgrounds. Every student is going through different struggles — some are first-generation [Americans], others are immigrants. I think it's important to acknowledge these differences and have respect for one another, so that everyone can [learn] in a comfortable environment.”

“I have struggled financially, and had limited knowledge of the college process being a first-generation [American]. So I can comprehend [the problems] of people who are low-income or immigrants.”

Headshot of Rosbeli Gonzalez. (Marco Pallotti | The Corsair)

Independent Candidate

Melissa Martinez

“[Student] outreach [means] looking out for their necessities...Publicizing the resources that SMC offers, and providing new resources when available.”

“I like to challenge myself and learn from my experiences....I wanted to [run] for A.S. — to make more connections, more networking — and help out the people, the students… I’ve been active in school [government] since my freshman year in high school...I have always liked advocating for others. I love activism.”

“I believe that it is important to be involved in school, because I remember my first semester I wasn't as involved. I had to work — I had to pay bills, I had to help my family. It was just school and work, school and work, and I just didn't feel like part of school. My second semester, I had the opportunity to quit my job and just focus on school. So that's what I did — I joined the Adelante club and I just fell in love with [it, so much so] that I decided to run for fundraiser coordinator [and later] treasurer.”

“We want to give back to our students...We know that the pandemic has been hard for them. So we want to give back to them.”

Headshot of Melissa Martinez. (Marco Pallotti | The Corsair)

A.S. DIRECTOR OF STUDENT ADVOCACY CANDIDATES

Headshot provided by Kamiko Greenwood.

Independent Candidate

Kamiko Greenwood

“Advocating for the students is one of the things that I am passionate about. School policy reform is what I stand for. My job is to uncover injustices and bring them to light, As I amplify student's voices, knocking down barriers to success. I speak out against the use of Proctorio and the inequities it promotes while advocating for students' rights. Which caused Proctorio to be recalled at SMC but it was later reinstated, so the fight continues. I believe students should have a stake in their education, and I have their best interests in mind in all actions I undertake. Students should have the right to choose the way in which they learn.”

Headshot provided by Daniel Lorenzo.

Independent Candidate

Daniel Lorenzo

“One of my goals as Director of Advocacy is to make sure students feel that SMC supports movements like Black Lives Matter by forming a stronger relationship between them and our Adelante and Black collegians program. I also plan on making sure that if it is in the interest of our international students, there will be open forums that bring awareness to the political movements that are happening in their communities back home.”

A.S. DIRECTOR OF ACTIVITIES CANDIDATES

Headshot provided by Amalia Camey.

Independent Candidate

Amalia Camey

“I'm running for AS because I've always prompted myself to be in leadership positions...I felt like the position I want to be in [Director of Activities] really suited me...I could support the student body with filling out club forms and event forms and helping them coordinate, where they're going to be and what they're going to do. Also to just bring the community together by encouraging people to become involved, and creating new activity so that we can provide them that involvement within all of us in SMC itself...That's also another reason why I'm interested in student government, because it brings the overall campus together and encourages people to work together. It encourages that communication."

“I think something that sets me apart is that I've been in leadership positions since I was in high school. In high school, I was the vice president for this [club] kind of like the Adelante Club, but it's called Latinos liberals. And then [at SMC] I'm also very involved with programs; I'm in the STEM program, and I'm in the Adelante program. And overall, I think that my leadership experience, and people helping [to] me guide me has set me apart from others.”

“I just want to improve inclusivity especially online, and just to promote an overall platform for people to come together and be involved with the student body the student government, but also club awareness... like being active in clubs.”

Independent Candidate

Julianna De Paula

“I am originally from Brazil, it’s my first time in LA… I’ve always had this passion for events because it’s the only way that I never felt lonely when I was moving constantly because of my father’s job. I’m gonna do it with a lot of passion because I wanna help people as much as they helped me. And with the pandemic, I think that we have to be closer as a community more now than ever. We need to reconnect. A lot of people had issues, lost someone, or had mental issues, so I think that coordinating the right events will make people reconnect again.”

“My objective is to make, if we go back in person, I wanna do an event to reconnect people. And talk about our experiences in COVID, so we can all know that we’re not alone. I know I’ve [struggled], many people had struggles.”

“Since I’ve constantly moved, I always felt that I needed someone to stand up for me, especially being an international student and an immigrant in California. It’s not that easy being an immigrant in the United States. So I kind of felt that, since a lot of people helped me, I wanna start helping them now, give back. Whenever I was lonely there were a lot of student representatives through my high school that helped me fit in, I wanna do the same thing with everyone.”

“I guess that makes me a little different because I see a difficulty…I’m gonna do it because I need to help other people. We have to be together, I’ve always seen a community like that. I’m not perfect, I will make mistakes, but I will honor my mistakes and I will help people. It’s going to be my number one priority. And I’m gonna be super reachable. I’m gonna talk to students, and if they have a concern, or if they’re going to be like “oh, can you please do this event for us?” If it’s possible, I will make it happen, I will listen to them, and I guess that’s what sets me apart, I’m gonna do it with a lot of passion.”

Headshot provided by Julianna De Paula.

Headshot provided by Le Thuy Nguyen.

Independent Candidate

Le Thuy Nguyen

“My top objective for this role is to make our campus glorious and powerful with more activities. Especially for the upcoming term that SMC is expected to open and students will be back after the pandemic. Thus, I think it will be different from things that have happened in the past and new policies and directions are necessary. Also, I plan to make the club awareness day more special and attractive to students so they can feel more confident and comfortable to involve themselves more on campus. Besides, students' mental health is also the issue that I truly concern about as I can see it’s present in most students’ life nowadays. Hence, holding more events and activities to support students to overcome their stress and depression is my top goal… At SMC, a student's voice is the biggest matter that should be cared for and advocated intensively.”

“I believe the factor that makes me unique from other candidates is my acknowledgment of the true value of being a leader. Today, as you apply for college, internship, or job, if your profile lacks leadership skills, you’ve pretty much dug your own grave. Because of that deep-rooted mindset, everybody is scrambling for a leadership position. However, Do they truly understand the actual job and performance that the leader needs to do? Or just because people “worship” leadership, sometimes even consider it as a key factor to determine a person’s worth? Based on my experience, I have seen many leaders drown themselves in my ambitions, drunk in the passion of proving them to the point that they forgot the core value of leadership. Consequently, they lost their direction in leading and did so to other committees and members. A good leader differs from a tyrant, a dictator at this: “Knowing when their guidance and direction is needed.” Moreover, I believe passion, enthusiasm, characteristics, and discipline are also the impact factors that make a strong leader. Thus, my understanding and my values set me apart from other candidates.”

“The first thing I would change as a director of activities is I’ll hold more events for people from all of the clubs to have the chance to meet each other than just the traditional way that students can meet and make friends with the limited members of their clubs/organizations.”

“The main reason I want to run for the Director of Activities is that I want to bring my ideas and my experience to contribute to our campus’s more engaging and glorious events. I’m personally interested in student government because I want to challenge myself in a bigger leadership role. From that, I can learn and improve my personal development such as my social, leadership, organization, and management skills. I would especially love to expand my networking because I believe I can meet many amazing people from here.”

A.S. DIRECTOR OF PUBLICITY CANDIDATES

Headshot provided by Alejandro Canas.

Independent Candidate

Alejandro Canas

“I think the most important thing for me it's the networking. I want to prove the different ways that students can engage each other, even though the we are in a pandemic, because I think it's really important that people know other people, either personally or professionally. I think that's what matters. I also want to be more. I want to give the are the like more exposure, exposure, I will want to give our parties as parties more like a little more disability for the community. I also want to. Once give like more kilter and like various emphasis on the community. Because I think that's what matters for everyone. If everyone feel that are part of something. I think that that will be amazing for the future for the career for do whatever you want to go to school, and support the minorities, I think is really important, too.”

Headshot of Miguel Jimenez. (Marco Pallotti | The Corsair)

Independent Candidate

Miguel Jimenez

“I’m running because I care about the success of all students and how that relates to the ‘behind the scenes’ of SMC, and everything that entails. I’ve been in design leads before and I want to make sure everyone does their best… Student government is there to help the students — and its important that the students can protect their privacy as they attend SMC, and that they know their rights. I’ve been able to help behind the scenes for SMC as a navigating design director.”

“I want to engage the students at SMC and have them participate more… I would communicate the resources to students that they need, and that SMC has to offer.”

“Every student at SMC is special, and it’s important to me that I advocate for them, and help them express their right to vote and practice their democracy.”

Headshot of Brandon Sanchez. (Marco Pallotti | The Corsair)

Slate: Empower. Our. Future.

Brandon Sanchez

“This is a way for me to enhance my skills and grow as a person...I just want to give back to the college.”

“The first thing that I would do is identify real-world problems and try to solve them… As an immigrant, I have experience...with difficulties in college. When I came here to this country, I didn’t speak English...When I first started at Santa Monica [College], my life changed completely. I had more opportunities than ever...I want to inform people that there are resources [available to them at SMC]...to me it's really important to not only receive, but also to help others reach their goals.”

“It’s really important to know how to spread information in a way that people can understand clearly...it’s really important to find a way to help others.”

A.S. DIRECTOR OF SUSTAINABILITY CANDIDATES

Independent Candidate

Michael Dadayan

“I look forward to maintaining the light carbon footprint SMC has managed to attain and introducing programs that encourage sustainability during isolation.
I’ve always been passionate about the environment and I find intrinsic satisfaction in knowing I’ve done my part. In the future I plan to study environmental design with the end goal of designing sustainable community spaces. But until then I seek to make a lasting impact on SMC’s sustainability practices.”

Independent Candidate

Alexandra Schoch

"I am running for A.S. Director of Sustainability. Because I am passionate about protecting our environment. From my years of independent environmental research and my enthusiastic commitment to incorporate best practices into my own daily life, I know that I can employ my passion to be impactful in this position. As a student government leader, I will be in a position–as the chosen representative of the entire student body–to both heighten awareness of how each of us impacts the environment around our SMC community and express the importance of best environmental practices to SMC’s administration."

“I spent 4+ years as the Director of Development and Events at a cancer research non-profit, which gave me the leadership and communication skills necessary to skillfully collaborate with the multiple committees the A.S. Sustainability Director must interface with at SMC. I am also a life-long advocate of sustainability practices, constantly researching and implementing new and improved ways to be sustainably responsible. I'm hugely passionate about leading by example and educating others on simple everyday tasks one can do to fight climate change.”

"I intend to improve sustainability outreach to my fellow students. SMC students should be fully aware, and proud, that SMC is a leader among community colleges in the fight against climate change. For example, as a big proponent of clean cleaning and washing supplies, I would do an investigative deep-dive into the chemicals that SMC uses for hand soap and janitorial cleaning products. Reducing waste and emissions is only part of the climate change equation. We must also use healthy, non-toxic cleaning supplies in our fight against climate change."

Headshot provided by Alexandra Schoch.