Saludos and good afternoon Board of Trustees, Chancellor, and CCSF community,
I know I was just sworn in, and I’m so honored to be serving my fellow students this year as their student trustee. I do think it’s important to mention that I have been working in student spaces and advocating for students at CCSF for several years. I have been working as a volunteer with People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights (PODER) for a couple of years, as a leader and advocate to uplift the community. I have also served for years as a student advocate and peer mentor at CCSF’s Voices of Immigrants Demonstrating Achievement (VIDA), now City DREAM, as well as VASA and Students Supporting Students. I am excited now to be a peer mentor at our Family Resource Center, working to make sure that our parenting students also feel welcomed and have a place at CCSF. Giving voice to others who cannot always speak for themselves is a big part of the work that I do, and is the foundation for my service as this year’s student trustee.
I am committed to understanding the policies and decisions of this board, but just as much to asking important questions and ensuring there is transparency in everything we do. I believe that if our work is going to have buy-in and input from the community, it needs to be transparent and easily understood by all. That means that all community members should be able to access these meetings in whichever language is most comfortable for them. All community members should also be heard and understood in their preferred language, and able to make public comment. I have been working with students across CCSF to have agendas and minutes available in several languages, and today I call on the Board to do the same.
This work does not stop at City College of San Francisco. Yes, this is my home, but so is California, and community college students across the state are struggling. I was recently elected to serve as the Region 3 Legislative Affairs Director on the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, where I will continue my work to make and grow spaces for our non-credit community & family. In my role, I will be continuing to fight for all students, not just those with privilege, to be invited into decision-making spaces.
To all of you here today, I am humbled to be able to serve as this year’s Student Trustee. I invite all students to help me understand your challenges, successes, and experiences at CCSF so that you too, can have a voice on the Board. Thank you for your time.
In Community,
-Malinalli
Malinalli Villalobos
Pronouns: El/He/Him/His
CCSF Student Trustee, 2021 - 2022
studenttrustee@mail.ccsf.edu