Growing up as a black woman, and losing three high school friends, Cialysiah ‘Cici’ Washington, 19, science major, said she has learned to love herself in a society that continues to put down and marginalize people like her.

She’s never had a student government role, but she has built a coalition half comprised of current senators. Her team is called “RISE,” which stands for representation, inclusion, sustainability and equity. She said in addition to De Anza issues, her team emphasizes friendship.

“For me, we’re not a coalition. We’re a legit team and we’re friends,” Washington said. “We have to be friends first in order to have an effective senate.”

She said her goals are educating and teaching people what it means to have true genuine solidarity with all clubs and collectives on campus.

“Without this true relationship, we can’t achieve the goals of equality and equity that is meant for all students who attend De Anza, and changing the structure of how senate runs to make it more open to students on campus,” she said.

Washington said she would be 100 percent real with students. “I’m not going to shake your hand and smile and show up to meetings just because I need your vote,” Washington said. “I’m going to talk to you. I want to get to know you as a human being and understand what your goals are.”

She said the more she understands students’ goals, the more the student body can grow together. “No one can be successful based off of their own individual intentions,” she said.

Washington said she sees the potential De Anza has not only to influence students, but other schools, the city and the Bay Area.

“We don’t really know how powerful we really are because we haven’t tried together.”