"My name is Yun Feng ("Victoria") Tan. I am   running for President of the Chinatown   Campus of CCSF. I believe that I am uniquely   qualified to act as President of the Chinatown   Campus of CCSF for the following reasons: 1)   As a recent immigrant from China, I have   experienced firsthand, the plight of many of   the students here and can therefore   understand their struggles and their needs; 2)   I have excellent communication skills, being   fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, and through   hard work and practice, have improved my   English abilities; 3) I am diligent, organized,   have good time management skills, and will   work hard to get the job done; and 4) I have   great leadership skills and work well with   people from different backgrounds.

 In 2016, I had the opportunity to join the US   Air Force, and was immediately immersed in   the culture and language of America and of   the military. I went through basic training and more advanced training for my intended duties as a dental technician in the Air Force. During this time, I developed my abilities to be organized, diligent, and self-disciplined. I learned to treat my responsibilities seriously and followed through until the job was done.

At a certain point in time, I was assigned to take charge of the management office of our department, which was the first point of contact for military personnel of all different backgrounds to the Dental Squadron to which I was attached. Through this experience, I learned how to communicate and deal with all manner of people, from dentists to four-star generals to first year recruits of many different racial, ethnic, social, economic, educational and cultural backgrounds. In addition, my leadership and team building skills made a positive difference in my squadron, and within a year of my assignment there, my front desk group won the “Best Team of the Year Award” at the Medical Center where I worked.

Since I returned to CCSF to continue my education as a Business major, I have made it to the Dean’s List for the past semesters, hoping to transfer to the UC system in about a year. I believe this achievement shows that I am a serious student with high goals, self discipline and the drive to succeed. I will be able to devote much of my spare time and energy toward really making the Chinatown Campus of CCSF a better and safer place to learn.

If I am elected to serve as the President of the CCSF Chinatown Campus, I believe that I can make a positive impact at the campus. I believe that the two most important issues to the student body at the Chinatown campus include 1) dealing with the Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus and 2) dealing with anti-Asian sentiment, which directly targets most of our student body at the Chinatown campus. Aside from these two issues, I will work on initiating and developing school services and career opportunities that students on our campus need. Whether it is expanding networking and communication services among students, programs, clubs and the administration, or implementing and supporting student programs and activities, I will do my best to help the student council move forward effectively and efficiently.

In summary, I believe that I would make an excellent President for the Chinatown Campus of the City College of San Francisco. Not only would it be a great honor for me to give back to the CCSF community, I believe I can be a great representative of the students of the Chinatown campus, because I truly am one of them. I will create a dialog with my classmates, listening to their voices, amplifying them and acting in their best interests. In doing so, I can help drive the Chinatown Campus of CCSF to better meet the needs of its student body and the greater Chinatown community at large. I hope I can have your vote to become the President of the CCSF Chinatown Campus. Thank you for your support."

Please explain why you would like to represent Chinatown Center Students:

"I would like to represent students of the Chinatown Campus of CCSF because I can identify with them, having experienced much of what they have gone through since I also immigrated to the US from China in my not too distant past. I have seen students of all ages, including the elderly members of my community, go to the Chinatown Campus of CCSF to take English as a second language and other courses, which have helped them to adjust and better assimilate into their newly adopted American culture and community. I have also volunteered at the Chinese Progressive Association in Chinatown to help distribute items to combat the spread of Covid-19 such as hand sanitizer, masks, and gloves to needy residents of Chinatown.

If I become the President of the Chinatown Campus of CCSF, I would like to showcase Chinese American culture as something to be celebrated as part of our diversity in San Francisco and in America. We are not foreigners who need to be feared and discriminated against. We are Americans who came here from a different path."

 "你好。我叫YAOHUA WU，您也可以称呼我为   Tommy。我会说粤语和普通话，同时我也精通广   东省五邑地区的方言，可以流利的和中国城校区   的学生交流。我长期在Chinatown的YMCA以中   国城其他的地区做food bank的志愿者，并有时候  会在东北医疗中心做志愿者。这可以让我深入了解中国城人民的生活习惯，以便我可以更好的服务中国城的居民以及CCSF在中国城校区的学生。 更重要的是，我是CCSF Chinese Culture Club的一份子，并参与了Chinese Culture Club的日常运行，如果我当上中国城校区的办公室人员，我可以使这两者产生联系，不仅可以让社团的成员更好地服务于中国城校区，也可以让中国城校区的学生与我们一起将中国文化发扬光大。 谢谢。"

 "My favorite thing about CCSF is how diverse   its student body is, coming from different   backgrounds, sharing their unique, but   relatable experiences. As an immigrant and a   returning student, I understand the struggle.   Getting a degree, while taking care of the   bills, a family, or balancing school and work,   is not easy, but if we create a true community   in this college, the burden won't seem so   overwhelming. The pandemic has isolated us,   but trust me, you are not alone in your   struggles. By coming together, we can not   only make our college experience more enjoyable, but we can significantly improve our lives, personal, professional, and academic. I believe that this community college allows us to reinvent ourselves, by providing new career opportunities, support, and let's be honest, affordable higher education. I believe in hearing everybody's opinions, validating them, and taking them into consideration. There's no meaningless thought, no unimportant concern, and I want to listen to you, hear you, and act together to better this college for our generation of students and the following ones.

Classes can be stressful, especially now, when we are alone in front of our computers, but technology has proven to be a friend, not an enemy. We can use technology to come together, help each other with academics, and improve the communities around us. I’ve met (virtually) so many inspirational, hard-working, talented students at this college, and I couldn’t be prouder of every single one of you. The ability to interact with you on a daily gives me the strength and motivation to keep on grinding.
Community college students, to my immense regret, are often looked down upon. When I tell new acquaintances where I go to school to, I often feel judged, which, in my opinion, is extremely unfair. We’ve worked hard to be here, we continue to be the exceptions to statistics, as first-generation students, immigrants, young parents, we strive for success, and I have no doubt that we can achieve it.

I remember my first job at a small restaurant, where I was told that cleaning bathrooms is only my responsibility, because I come from a third-world country. I didn’t let this ignorant remark get to me, I cleaned those bathrooms with pride. I did my best, and now, every time I ace a class, and I aced all of my classes, I tell myself, it’s because I’ve come from a third-world country. This is my way of changing the negative assumption about my background, and I inspired many to do the same. Only you define yourself, nothing else matters!
Remember, you can do anything, the world doesn’t limit you, your own self-doubt does. My main mission, as a president or simply your friend, I’m fine with either, is to inspire you to be the best version of yourself. David Goggings once said, “You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft, that you will die without ever realizing your true potential.” Let’s realize our true potentials together, because this institution truly gives us the opportunity to do so. I’m ready to be your confidant, your friend, your advisor, as long as you’re prepared to reach your true potential. You’re here for a reason, we all are, and we will make all of our dreams come true if we work hard, stay dedicated to our commitments, and believe in ourselves. Your past doesn’t define you, but your hard work does. Let’s inspire each other, uplift each other, and change the stigma around community colleges!

Please explain why you would like to represent the students of the Evans Center: 

"I've been a student at CCSF for only a year, so I'm missing out on the opportunity to be a part of the community. All my classes are remote, but I would love to be in communication with other students, offer my experience, as I've taken 12 classes so far and got A's in all of them."