The Pioneer, Vol. 53 Issue 2

Campus
Cameron Cox (left) and Chaz Serna (right) had fun discussing student plans.
He cares about Pierce College and his
fellow students.
“I WILL CONTINUE TO
LISTEN, TO SEE, TO
IMPLORE, TO ASK, TO
TRY TO GET STUDENTS
TO ENGAGE, AND TO
TEACH THEM THAT
THEY CAN COME TO
US WITH ISSUES,”
—STUDENTBODY
PRESIDENT, CHAZ
SERNA
Serna immediately went to work
tackling three issues before fall quarter
even began. One of the main issues is the
Health Administration Center (HEC) fee
which he hopes to eliminate.
“Another one of my larger issues is
financial aid – the way it happens, the
way it doesn’t happen, the loopholes,”
said Serna.
“Other colleges have up-to-date ways
of dealing with and distributing funds.”
Serna is also trying to bring self-compacting,
solar powered recycling trash
cans to the campus, as a way to
encourage recycling.
“The ones we have now, the birds get
into them and spread trash everywhere,
and nobody wants to clean it up,” said
Serna. “These trash cans, they cannot get
into. They hold five times the capacity of
a normal trash can.”
Serna hopes to knock off these challenges
left and right. “If they give me
authority to do things, I’m going to use
it,” he said. “It’s not about trying to leave
my print or name on anything, I’m just
trying to leave something that future
student body generations are going to
be able to appreciate and enjoy. What
matters is the lasting legacy.”
Serna enjoys supporting each student
government senator and their programs,
and leading by servitude.
“I will continue to listen, to see, to
implore, to ask, to try to get students
to engage, and to teach them that they
can come to us with issues,” said Serna.
“Whatever it may be, if we ourselves
can’t help you we’re going to direct you
in some path where you can get help. We
want to do as much as we can, to be the
servants we were hired to be.”
His humble heart has roots in a very
tough childhood and upbringing, during
which he learned powerful lessons about
people and life that he plans to use while
at Pierce.
Serna did prison ministry and taught
Sunday School for six years. He also
started his own nonprofit organization,
called CJS Urban Outreach Ministries
that reached out to homeless children,
to give back to the things he didn’t have
when he was a kid.
“That’s what I sought to do, hence my
major of clinical psychology,” said Serna.
“I want to work in abnormal psychology
with kids.”
In the meantime Serna has big plans
for students at Pierce College this year,
specifically to create a community.
“We don’t want sects of individuals
here, and cliques of individuals here and
there,” said Serna. “We want to show
people: Have pride in where you go to
school. Don’t just come, go to school, and
then go about your business. Be part of
this community. Serve in ways that you
can. Give back.
“We want the student body to know
they have a real voice. Student input
won’t fall on deaf ears, fall through the
cracks, or get caught in bureaucratic red
tape. We want to create a vibrant, viable,
healthy community that’s inclusive to all.”
November. 2019 / Vol. 53, Issue 2 piercepioneernews.com / 11