Arjun Gadkari, 18, aerospace engineering major, has a year and a half of experience in political action at De Anza College.

He served as a DASB senator, helping found the De Anza Sustainability Club and working with the Students for Justice club since January 2014.

“These experiences have given me the tools to organize and mobilize networks of people around issues,” Gadkari said.

Gadkari said he wants to address the parking issues facing De Anza students by creating a better transit hub on campus. He is promoting the benefits of the VTA Eco Pass and pushing plans forward for the Bus Rapid Transit system.

“I’ve gained a deep understanding of community college funding, how legislation affects that and how to speak to those with power in order to ask for more,” Gadkari said.

He said his focuses are helping disadvantaged students and challenging systems that work against the health, happiness and safety of students.

Pouya Amin, 19, molecular biology major, said glaring issues around the De Anza College campus led him to seek change and take political action.

“I’m trying to change some fundamental problems at De Anza,” Amin said.

Amin cited the Assessment Center’s retest policy for placement tests and lack of funding for tutors as the issues he wants to handle.

Amin said his plan for the retest policy is to lower the limits of the current policy to allow students to take another placement test after two quarters.

He wants to use the role of student trustee to bring the lack of funding for tutors and shortage of tutors to the attention of the Board of Trustees.

“Many students struggle with hard classes like physics and statistics and that prevents them from graduating on time, and I’d like to increase student success in the future,” Amin said. “My heart is set on changing these things.”

Jaymar Hardesty, 21, political science major, said he wants to focus on student safety and better represent the De Anza College student body.

Hardesty said he wants to provide for students facing any situation preventing them from academic success. He said he will make sure students of all backgrounds are accounted for and protected, especially minorities.

“I can best represent by offering more opportunities and resources for policies, programs and projects that are going to benefit the student body on campus and in our district,” Hardesty said.

Hardesty said he wants to work with student trustees throughout the California Community College system to ensure that students are represented at the local and district levels.

“I want to accomplish a better representation of the student body to make sure that our voices and experiences are reflected in decisions made by the Board of Trustees,” Hardesty said.