Associated Students Spring 2023 Election Candidate Guide
A.S. President Candidates
Cecilia Jeong — Slate: “What’s UP SMC”
Jeong said that her experiences of immigration and working full time while attending college have inspired her to foster a system that better supports its students. She is interested in improving the service of basic needs on campus, promoting student-led events, and better incorporating the satellite campuses into student life. Jeong added that she also helped lead Santa Monica College (SMC) projects such as Giving Thanksgiving. She is currently the Director of Basic Needs, and previously served as Director of Publicity in Spring 2022.
Interview: What made you interested in being a part of the A.S. leadership?
“I’ve always been involved in local leadership, even back home in South Korea. Quickly after joining SMC, I realized that this college has a lot more to offer than I first realized. I entered SMC leadership as a Director of Publicity in 2022 and was part of projects for Earth Day, Women’s History Month and mental health awareness. SMC rekindled my passion for education, and I felt the next step from working as Director of Basic Needs would be continuing my work as A.S. President.”
What is it about the position you’re running for that interests you?
“I believe the student government is here to voice a positive change for our students and community at-large. The skills I’ve learned in this past year can lead me to create and foster projects that will benefit students in the next years as well. The A.S. President can have a great impact in providing basic needs to students and that will continue to be a focus of mine.”
What are you hoping to achieve if you are elected?
“I am hoping to interconnect the satellite campuses a little more. I’ve been campaigning in these other locations, and you can really see a disconnect with the main campus. I know I can’t fix everything in one go, but I’m hoping to start a process that will strengthen this dynamic. And I also believe this relates to a problem we have with publicity at SMC as the college offers many resources that students are unaware of or don’t expect to exist.”
What are some of your long-term career goals?
“My interest in the field of Economics is doing research in terms of quality of life, standards of living, and how governmental policies affect wealth and inequality. I’m still learning and exploring how that translates into a career path.”
A.S. President Candidate Cecilia Jeong in Santa Monica, Calif. on Thursday March. 30 2023. (Isaac Manno | The Corsair)
A.S. President Candidate Justin (Yen-Chi) Liu in Santa Monica, Calif. on Monday, April 3, 2023. (Isaac Manno | The Corsair)
Justin (Yen-Chi) Liu — Slate: Student Inclusion
Liu said that personal academic challenges he’s faced set him off on a mindset to foster a more inclusive community to nurture students’ wellness and well-being. He is interested in promoting a well-developed student-support system. Liu said that his experience as the current Director of Budget Management at SMC has prepared him for this position. He also highlighted how chairing and attending multiple school committees has inspired him to better advocate for students' concerns and rights.
Interview: What made you interested in being a part of the A.S. leadership?
“I had an opportunity to be part of the student government at a college I attended back home in Taiwan. That experience put me in a mindset to want to continue to serve any community I participate in.”
What is it about the position you’re running for that interests you?
“I have the confidence that, as president, I would be able to empower, associate and communicate with students. In my opinion, these are the three major duties of a president.”
What are you hoping to achieve if you are elected?
“I hope that we can resolve the disconnection between the A.S. and clubs, and to better connect the students to this leadership. Many students are not aware of what the A.S. is and what it does. I’ll use the budget managing skills I have developed this past year to focus on the interests that best serve the students. And I also hope to nurture this community and provide the resources that ensure the students’ wellbeing and wellness.”
What are some of your long-term career goals?
“I would like to either be an economist or work in the finance field. However, I am still exploring different options and fields here at SMC which is the best place one can be to explore career options.”
A.S. Secretary Candidate
Onni Huang — Slate: Student Inclusion
A.S. Director of Secretary Candidate Onni Huang in Santa Monica, Calif. on Monday, April 3, 2023 (Isaac Manno | The Corsair)
Huang said that serving as a commissioner for the current A.S. Secretary has prepared her for the position of Secretary. She is interested in enhancing communication between the student body and the student government and incorporating student feedback into her work. Huang shared that she wants to create a more inclusive learning environment for all students from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Interview: What made you interested in being a part of the A.S. leadership?
“I want to serve the students and contribute to making our campus better.”
What is it about the position you’re running for that interests you?
“I really enjoy the organizing and administrative side of things.”
What are you hoping to achieve if you are elected?
“I hope to make decisions that better serve students.”
What are some of your long-term career goals?
“I am not entirely sure. I am interested in learning about people’s needs.”
A.S. Director of Basic Needs Candidates
A.S. Director of Basic Needs Candidate Ee Lin Tsen in Santa Monica, Calif. on Thursday March 30, 2023. (Daniel De Anda | The Corsair)
Ee Lin Tsen — Slate: Student Inclusion
Tsen said that her experience working at the SMC Bodega for the past year has inspired her to run for the position of Director of Basic Needs. She is interested in serving as an advocate for the well-being of students and ensuring they are all receiving emotional, financial and basic support. Tsen shared that she will work hard on improving the mental health support given to students throughout the SMC community.
Interview: What made you interested in being a part of the A.S. leadership?
“Justin Liu was who first approached me about joining the A.S. He explained to me about the importance of having a good team at the board and how much of an impact we can make in student life. As I already worked for the Bodega, it felt right to run for a Basic Needs position.”
What is it about the position you’re running for that interests you?
“I care a lot about people. Working at the Bodega, I really saw how much of a positive impact can be made in students’ lives. External situations shouldn’t affect a student’s capacity to learn. We should all be fed and taken care of. And sometimes all it takes is a person to uplift us.”
What are you hoping to achieve if you are elected?
“I hope I can do more to help people access more resources and be a support-system. I really want to focus on mental health and creating a better sense of community among students. If I do get elected, I want students to know that they can reach out to me directly for support.”
What are some of your long-term career goals?
“I hope to tell visual stories and uplift voices that are often less heard. It’s so important to bring more representation to the screen.”
Kwun Shek Fung — Slate: n/a
Fung said that being part of a Jesuit high school inspired him to help others and contribute to the SMC community. He is interested in bringing passion and innovative ideas to address food insecurity and healthcare issues as well as improving communication between faculty, staff and students. Fung shared that his experience with mentoring schoolmates in high school and working as a customer care representative have prepared him for this role.
This candidate did not respond to The Corsair’s request for interview.
A.S. Director of Instructional Support Candidates
Director of Instructional Support Candidate Li Sheng Yang in Santa Monica, Calif. on Monday, April 3, 2023. (Isaac Manno | The Corsair)
Li Sheng Yang — Slate: n/a
Yang said that he aims to promote and encourage students who are facing basic needs insecurity to utilize SMC resources. He is interested in focusing on minority groups to offer aid and support that best serve them. Yang shared that he wants to create a forum that encourages the students’ feedback so he can work as an advocate for their needs and concerns.
Interview: What made you interested in being a part of the A.S. leadership?
“I’m looking for an opportunity to give back. I have enjoyed a lot of the resources SMC offers and it feels good to contribute to the community.”
What is it about the position you’re running for that interests you?
“How impactful this position can be, especially Director of Instructional Support since it focuses on academics. As an engineering student, I take a lot of difficult classes and I’ve felt very supported by SMC whenever facing challenges. I want to better communicate and promote these resources to students, especially those in STEM.”
What are you hoping to achieve if you are elected?
“One of the things I would like to do is to create some sort of forum where different voices can be heard so we can figure out together how to improve upon the resources and services we have at SMC.”
What are some of your long-term career goals?
“I haven’t thought much about that yet. I am still exploring what engineering field I would like to choose.”
This candidate did not respond to The Corsair’s request for interview.
Subin kang — Slate: Student Inclusion
Kang said that her past volunteering experience at an elementary school inspired her to seek the opportunity to impact the lives of students and educators positively. She is interested in collaborating with educators to create a dynamic and successful learning environment for students. Kang shared that her passion for education as well as her communication and organizational skills have prepared her for this role.
A.S. Director of Student Outreach Candidate
This candidate did not respond to The Corsair’s request for interview.
Doris (Ling-Hsuan) Huang — Slate: n/a
Huang said that as an international student, her experience with asking for information and help from many SMC departments inspired her to run for the position. She is interested in helping students who need assistance in various aspects of their lives as she once did herself.
A.S. Director of Equity and Diversity Candidate
Phanphasa Parinyasrisawet — Slate: Student inclusion
Parinyasrisawet said that studying at SMC has inspired her to create a diverse learning environment that is equity-affirming. She is interested in promoting culture-focused events and a space where students can create a community and encourage each other to learn and live together as global citizens.
This candidate did not respond to The Corsair’s request for interview.
A.S. Director of External Affairs Candidate
This candidate did not respond to The Corsair’s request for interview.
Esmeralda Hernandez — Slate: Student inclusion
Hernandez said that, as a first-generation student with immigrant parents, she feels privileged to attend Santa Monica College. She is currently the Director of Equity and Diversity, and is interested in strengthening the sense of community among like-minded students. Hernandez said that she wants to build a space that supports students in accomplishing their goals.
A.S. Director of Publicity Candidates
Director of Publicity Candidate Lina Fuellemann in Santa Monica, Calif. on Thursday, March 30, 2023. (Isaac Manno | The Corsair)
Lina Fuellemon — Slate: n/a
Fuellemann said that her experience as commissioner of the current Director of Publicity has prepared her for this position. She is interested in serving as a liaison between the A.S. and the student body, and aims to bring the latest standards of marketing and social media to the role. Fuellemann said that she is committed to effectively reflecting SMC’s mission, values, and accomplishments as well as promoting the college and engaging with its community.
Interview: What made you interested in being a part of the A.S. leadership?
“Being part of A.S. opens a lot of leadership opportunities and I wanted to be more engaged with school.”
What is it about the position you’re running for that interests you?
“I’ve been working as the commissioner for the current Director of Publicity, and I liked that, as an Architecture major, I could explore my creativity in this position. I would also like to promote events and SMC projects that make students’ lives better.”
What are you hoping to achieve if you are elected?
“I want people to have a memorable college life experience. I am ready to dedicate myself and help students’ voices be heard. I want students to know they can always reach out to us if they have any questions or anything that is bothering them.”
What are some of your long-term career goals?
“I chose Architecture as my major because I knew I wanted to do something related to design, but I’m open to perhaps changing it to a better fit. My long-term goal is to be a designer. I could imagine myself working in other fields such as film and landscaping design as well.”
This candidate did not respond to The Corsair’s request for interview.
LiA Chung — Slate: Student Inclusion
Chung said that her past experiences in media designing and editing have prepared her for the role of Director of Publicity. She is interested in inspiring and connecting with students and honoring SMC’s diverse student body. Chung shared that she would take the position seriously and respectfully, focusing on hearing students’ voices carefully. She also highlighted that understanding the importance of utilizing communication platforms is crucial in connecting with an audience.
A.S. Director of Sustainability Candidate
A.S. Director of Sustainability Candidate Elliot Organ in Santa Monica, Calif. on Thursday, March 30, 2023. (Daniel De Anda | The Corsair)
Elliot organ — Slate: Student inclusion
Organ said that his past work experience in organic farming has driven his passion for the environment. He is interested in incentivizing environmentally friendly consumption on campus and educating the student body and faculty on effective sustainability practices. Organ is currently a student worker at SMC’s Sustainability Center and wishes to promote more green events at SMC.
Interview: What made you interested in being a part of the A.S. leadership?
“What motivates me is my passion for the environment and the various opportunities I’ve had at SMC to get involved in a leadership role and to give back to the school.”
What is it about the position you’re running for that interests you?
“The Director of Sustainability position presents a lot of cool opportunities in terms of how I can raise awareness of sustainability on campus and implement new ways that we can be more sustainable. For example, increasing our vermiculture compost program and petitioning our Board of Trustees to divest from fossil fuels.”
What are you hoping to achieve if you are elected?
“My biggest goal is to do a kind of investigation with the Board of Trustees into where our approximately 30-million-dollar endowment fund is sitting [in terms of banking]. We don’t have a lot of control over what types of banks we keep our day-to-day money. I’d like to ensure that we, as students, are keeping that money in funds that are aligned with our interests such as investing in renewable energy.”
What are some of your long-term career goals?
“I would love to be a lawyer. I want to work in public defense and create a voice for the voiceless. I’d like to stay at SMC for a year or two more, go to a UC to finish my undergrad, and then law school.”
Student Trustee Candidate
This candidate did not respond to The Corsair’s request for interview.
Alyssa Arreola — Slate: “What’s UP SMC”
Arreola said that her experience with the A.S. Board has prepared her for the position. Currently the A.S. Vice President, she is interested in taking a new approach as a member of the A.S. and representing the student body by listening to it. Arreola added that being a board member in numerous SMC clubs has taught her how to be a better member of student leadership.
