The annual Student Advisory Committee election will be held at Contra Costa College this year. Every year a student gets an opportunity to be a part of the Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board by being elected as student trustee  representing the district’s students.

Students were able to vote for one of three candidates from May 10 to Monday.

The candidates for CCC are Middle College High School students Kwame Baah-Arhin, communications major Leon Watkins and engineering major Yi Li.

Governing Board trustee Vicki Gordon said she enjoys being able to work with the students.

It allows the members of the Governing Board to know what students want and the issues going on around the campuses, she said.

“Good communication is the key to good governing. When we don’t have a student’s voice (on the Governing Board), student’s input won’t be in our decision making and planning,” Gordon said.

Student trustees are required to attend every monthly Governing Board meeting and must have reliable car transportation.

The person also has to check in with the Associated Student Unions at all three district colleges, to take the concerns around each campus to the board.

Erika Greene, CCC Student Life coordinator, said. “(The student trustee) will be in communication with the ASU presidents from Contra Costa, Los Medanos and Diablo Valley colleges, so that way the student trustee will know all of the problems and issues that have been going at each of the campuses.”

One of the student candidates, Watkins, wants to bring a legacy of education to the entire district.

The U.S. Marine veteran has accomplished a lot after leaving the military. He found success in the motion picture industry and was a stand-in in the film “Spider-Man 2” and “Driving Miss Daisy” according to imbd.com.

One of his focuses is to bring awareness to military veterans on each campus.

Student trustees receive a $400 stipend per month and an advisory vote on the Governing Board. An advisory vote does not count, but the students’ voice will be considered in the vote.

“The student trustee is the voice for all students to the Governing Board and I think he or she is very important,” Greene said.