Two New Student Trustees Will Help the Student Voice Shine at SBCCD
Michelle Ly from Crafton Hills College and Dyami Ruiz-Martinez from San Bernardino Valley College have been elected as student trustees on the San Bernardino Community College Board of Trustees by their fellow peers.
They were sworn in on June 8 and will serve through the 2023–24 school year as the official voice for the students of the community college district.
The daughter of Cambodian refugees, 18-year-old Michelle Ly said she is especially grateful for higher education, something her parents did not have the opportunity to have. She is a first-generation college student in her second year at Crafton Hills College. She plans to transfer to a four-year university to study cognitive science, which includes the functions of the brain and psychology. She was inspired by her late grandmother, who was diagnosed with dementia. Eventually, Ly hopes to work in the medical or technological field.
A resident of Loma Linda, Ly served as a student senator at Crafton Hills. She is an honors student and hopes to advocate for affordable student housing and equal opportunity for all.
“Joining student government has inspired me to be an advocate for myself and for others,” Ly said. “It really has inspired me to make a difference at Crafton Hills College.”
Her first trustee meeting in June was “wonderful,” she said. “When I got there everyone was so welcoming, I am already getting used to it,” she said. “I am excited to see what new experiences come from working with the trustees.”
Representing San Bernardino Valley College is Dyami Ruiz-Martinez, 26, who is taking business courses and preparing for graduate school in public administration. A licensed real estate broker living in Ontario, he earned a bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine in political science and anthropology.
But his sister Nelva convinced him to take more classes at San Bernardino Valley College and run for student leadership. He was elected to the Associated Student Government, and together, he and his sister took on the challenge of reviving the Inter-Club Council. They gathered club presidents together and had regular roundtable discussions, asking, “What is it that you need? What can we do to provide for your career path and knowledge?”
That brain trust will come in handy as he represents the student body at each trustee meeting, he said.
“Student clubs are the backbone of being a student,” he said. “It is about your passions for art, human services or STEM. It is your introduction to a professional community. Right now, when we are dealing with online classes and social disconnection, having a vibrant club community is so important,” says Ruiz-Martinez.
In March 2023, he was elected to represent this area’s student leadership to the Student Senate for the California Community Colleges Board of Directors. He advocated for the expansion of affordable housing, supporting the financial needs of students, and eliminating barriers for community college students.
His time in leadership has renewed his appreciation for public service and policy.
He said serving on the board keeps him surrounded by many accomplished people, and that is inspiring. “I want to make sure that in every decision, the student voice is present,” he said.
