After raising her right hand and repeating the oath of office, Thomasina Russaw was officially sworn in as De Anza’s new Student Trustee. Russaw received a standing ovation by members of the Board of Trustees on June 7, at the annual end of the year State of the College meeting in conference rooms A and B. Aside from the student trustee position, Russaw is involved with the Black Student Union and acts as a De Anza Student body Junior Senator.

<<<<>>>>>>>

The student trustee is elected by the students, but as former student trustee Isabelle Barrientos-Vargas noted, for the past three years, the position has been appointed automatically due to there only being one candidate. The student trustee holds the position for a one-year term. Their job is to be seated with the five Board of Trustee members at all public meetings. The student trustee is a part of questioning witnesses, discussing issues and both making and seconding motions. Essentially, it is their job to act as a voice of the students at a decision making level. For the past year, Isabelle Barrientos – Vargas, held the De Anza Student Trustee position. “It was a privilege to be the voice of the students at a district level and fight for human rights in every way possible,” said Barrientos-Vargas “Even if it meant voting differently than the board.” During her term, Barrientos-Vargas helped pass the Resolution composed by the Local Day of Action committee at De Anza and helped endorse the Activist Film Festival, which she created to help inform students about societal issues. She hopes that in the future, the student trustee position will get more recognition and that more students will attend the board meetings and reach out to the student trustee to help get their voices heard. Regarding advice to Thomasina Russaw about filling the position, she hopes that, “She follows her heart in all items and votes how she thinks is morally correct,” said Barrientos-Vargas “And to use all the knowledge she can acquire by those around her and to remain impartial to all voices of De Anza college students.”