SBVC Student Government Candidates Spotlight Campus Experience as SBCCD Plans Next 100 Years

As the San Bernardino Community College District marks 100 years of service, student leaders at San Bernardino Valley College are raising a clear message about the district’s next century: affordability matters, but the student experience must remain at the center.

In April, students at SBVC and Crafton Hills College began campaigning for student government positions, with candidates speaking about campus engagement, food access, student support and the importance of helping students feel connected to college life.

Their campaigns come as SBCCD invites students, residents, employers and community leaders to participate in its Affordable College Survey, which will help guide how the district delivers education and workforce training over the next 10 to 20 years.

For students running for office, the survey reflects many of the conversations already happening on campus — including the need for stronger support systems, more opportunities to connect and a college experience that prepares students for life beyond the classroom.

“I think students would benefit from more basic needs resources,” said Matthew Cano, a nursing major running for student senate.

Cano said students need stronger connections with people who understand their academic path and can help them navigate college more effectively.

“I think there are opportunities to build stronger connections between staff and students,” Cano said. “We aren’t as connected as a society anymore, and I feel like stronger support can help more students stay on track.”

Several candidates pointed to a recently approved community garden at SBVC as an example of student advocacy turning into action.

Jolene Ruiz, a political science and history major running for Associated Student Government president, said the garden can help address food access while creating a healthier campus environment.

“The pantry is an important resource, and the garden can help build on that by giving students access to more fresh, nutritious options,” Ruiz said. “In order to do our work and study, we have to feed our minds.”

Ruiz said the garden project carries added meaning as SBVC celebrates its centennial year.

“This is something that’s great for the school and for the students, and I can’t wait to see the six forthcoming gardens across our campus,” Ruiz said.

Annaih Estrada, a business administration major running for vice president of marketing, said her campaign is focused on improving communication, highlighting student clubs and creating more opportunities for students to build relationships on campus.

“Many people don’t really know about all the amazing clubs we have here,” Estrada said. “I want the students to feel safe, supported and like they matter.”

Estrada said community college is a place where students build confidence, friendships and professional connections, not just a place where they attend class and leave.

“We need real engagement, positivity, real friendships, real connections,” she said.

Alani Chapman, an education major running for vice president of events, said campus events can play a major role in helping students feel like they belong.

“I feel like students need more opportunities to come together,” Chapman said. “Events help build that sense of community.”

Chapman said many students arrive at college unsure of where they fit in, especially after leaving the structure of high school.

“Some students are lost because high school is a whole different ball game than when you come to college,” Chapman said. “You need that community.”

While the candidates identified areas where they want to see improvement, they also spoke highly of SBVC, community college and the district’s role in making higher education more accessible.

Chapman said community colleges are too often misunderstood.

“Community college is not a bad thing,” Chapman said. “Our district helps us. They support us.”

For Ruiz, who is a first-generation college student, SBVC’s centennial year represents both history and possibility.

“This is very exciting to me, especially because I got the garden approved and now I’m running for president,” Ruiz said.

District leaders have said the Affordable College Survey is intended to give the community a voice in shaping SBCCD’s future, including priorities around affordability, workforce training, campus safety, infrastructure and student support.

For the students campaigning this spring, that future is already taking shape through the issues they are elevating: food access, counseling, student engagement, mental health and stronger campus connections.

As SBCCD looks toward its next 100 years, student candidates say the district’s future is being shaped by the students, families and community members helping define what affordable higher education should look like next.

Take the SBCCD Affordable College Survey here.