The Trustee

As of last Thursday (April 18, 2024) I was elected to become the next Student Trustee of El Camino College. It was something I’d wanted since my boss said she could see me as the Student Trustee, and I’ve been thinking about running for this position since I entered the Associated Students of El Camino College. Yet, I can't help but feel imposter syndrome with the knowledge of what’s to come in the near future.

The Student Trustee is a very heavily involved position in the politics of the College. They sit on the Board of Trustees, and have to work alongside not only the board but the Campus Administration to ensure the goals of the college are defined and met. The Student Trustee’s role feels more in line with a Political Science or even a Business Major’s interests, and yet the Student Population decided an Engineering major should take up the challenge.

I shouldn’t feel this way, because my two predecessors for the last two years were both engineers. One civil, the other computer, but I know that when I begin to go to conferences with the other Student Trustees from across California, I will face a lot of Political Science majors. It’s not a bad thing, in fact I think its good for them to explore their interests, but I can’t help feeling I don’t belong with them as I come from a completely different area of study which has very few to no overlaps.

Ultimately, the student population saw something in me that I can bring to the table. And although I feel I might not belong with the others, I know that eventually I will overcome this feeling and step into a role where I can positively benefit El Camino College for the years to come.