Students gathered in Cosumnes River College’s Center for Inclusion and Belonging on Wednesday for the Associated Students of CRC Candidate Forum, where contenders for the Student Senate, Clubs and Events Board and Los Rios Student Trustee positions answered questions and addressed key student concerns.
At the forum, each candidate explained why they would make a great leader.
“Students only feel like they belong when they see a leader who is willing to keep pushing for change,” said Zainab Shakeel, a 19-year-old pre-med biology major running for Student Senate president. “I want to be that leader and make those changes wherever they’re needed. Students come first, so whatever they say matters.”
Candidates for the district-wide trustee position focused on the challenge of representing a large and diverse student population across multiple campuses.
Leonardo Torres Ruvalcaba, a 20-year-old business administration major and Sacramento City College CAEB vice president, said his approach would prioritize direct interaction with students, adding that he hopes to create an online platform where students can submit concerns.
“I plan to actually do office hours at CRC and really connect to people and hear the issues,” Ruvalcaba said.
Ruvalcaba also said financial aid is one of the most pressing issues across the district, adding that many students miss out on funding due to a lack of understanding.
Yousif Fouad, an 18-year-old political science and pre-law major, also emphasized accessibility, particularly for students who cannot attend meetings or be physically present on campus regularly.
“There’s only one student for all 80,000 students at the district,” Fouad said. “A lot of students find themselves lost.”
Fouad said he created a website where students can submit concerns directly and pledged to donate 10% of his trustee salary to fund a scholarship for incoming students.
Lynn Farias, a student trustee candidate and business administration major who serves on the SCC Budget Committee, highlighted the importance of hands-on involvement and expanding communication across campuses.
“I’d have student ambassadors on different campuses and stay involved by making regular visits,” Farias said. “That way I can stay connected and actually represent students across the district.”
Nathaniel Petueli, a 22-year-old English major, SCC Student Senate president and also running for the trustee position, stressed the importance of advocacy and equity. Petueli said there is a need for stronger communication between students and district leadership and improved access to resources such as academic support and mental health services.
While trustee candidates focused on district-wide issues, Angelina Miller, a 19-year-old architecture major re-running for CAEB commissioner on the CRC campus, emphasized the importance of student involvement and campus life at CRC. Miller pointed out that limited outreach contributes to low participation in clubs and events.
“I believe that we only have one club rush per academic semester,” Miller said.
Miller proposed increasing outreach, especially through social media, to better engage students and build a stronger sense of community on campus.
“I think building that sense of community is really important,” she said.
Student Senate candidates focused on representation, inclusion and improving the student experience both inside and outside the classroom.
“Students only feel like they belong when they see a leader who is willing to keep pushing for change,” Shakeel said. “I want to be that leader and make those changes wherever they’re needed. Students come first, so whatever they say matters.”
With tens of thousands of students across the Los Rios district but only a small number of elected representatives, candidates said that student participation in elections is critical. Many encouraged students to stay informed and vote, emphasizing that campus decisions—from resource allocation to student services—are shaped by those elected into these roles.
Voting for the 2026–27 student government elections will take place Tuesday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Students can access the candidate list through the Student Voter Guide and vote through the Elections & Surveys tab on their eServices accounts.
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Candidate forum introduces student government election nominees – thecrcconnection.com
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