When I began my educational journey at Sacramento City College, I quickly learned how transformative it is for students to feel seen, supported, and valued. As a first-generation DACAmented student from Mexico with temporary protections under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), I enrolled in English as a Second Language courses and found community through the Puente Program. There, I was surrounded by people who recognized my potential, affirmed my experiences, and helped me realize that I belonged. More importantly, they gave me the confidence to find my voice and see myself as a leader. 

Those equity-centered spaces shaped my commitment to giving back and creating opportunities for other students to find their voice and realize their own potential. Today, as Senior Equity Manager at the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC), I have the privilege of helping create those opportunities for students across the state. Through the Student Engagement Central Office and the California Community Colleges Student Ambassador Fellowship Program (CCC Student Ambassador Program), my team and I support students as they build leadership skills, confidence, and real-world experience while connecting their peers to resources, strengthening their campus communities, and creating positive change.

Investing in Students as Leaders

As higher education professionals, mentors, and graduates, we have an opportunity to create meaningful pathways for students to lead while they are still in college. Students bring lived experiences, perspectives, and insights that can enrich their campuses and help shape the communities they are part of. Investing in students as leaders means creating a space for them to support their peers, develop their skills, and contribute to the college experience.

At FoundationCCC, we work alongside colleges to cultivate that leadership potential. Through the CCC Student Ambassador Program, we prepare students to become leaders who connect their peers with critical resources related to food and housing security, mental health, financial wellness, and other basic needs, while promoting career exploration, workforce pathway awareness, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility-focused leadership development. 

This year, we are expanding our leadership model through dedicated Wellness, AANHPI, and Foster Youth cohorts, empowering students to lead within communities they know and understand. Across all our cohorts, we also center the experiences and leadership of undocumented students, justice-impacted students, and student parents. FoundationCCC provides ambassadors with training, outreach materials, coaching, and a supportive statewide network. With guidance from their advisors, ambassadors adapt what they learn to meet their peers’ needs.

The Power of Peer-to-Peer Outreach

Peer-to-peer outreach matters because students often feel more comfortable receiving information from someone who understands their experiences. A conversation with a peer can reduce stigma, connect a student with resources such as CalFresh, the Crisis Text Line, and Basic Needs Centers, and remind them they are not alone.

According to the 2025 Real College California Survey, two out of three California community college students face at least one basic-needs insecurity. The Chancellor’s Office’s 2024–25 Basic Needs Centers Report found that all 115 colleges provided basic-needs services and more than 140,000 students accessed them in spring 2025, representing 11% of enrollment that term.

Student ambassadors help extend the reach of these services through trusted connections. Since the program began in 2018, ambassadors have created 1.9 million connections with California community college students. This year, FoundationCCC is looking to onboard over 140 Student Ambassador fellows across the state. The Chancellor’s Office report also found that students accessing basic-needs services achieved a 67% course-success rate, comparable to the overall student population. This reinforces what we see through our work: when students receive the support they need, they are better positioned to succeed.

Building Skills for the Future

As ambassadors support their peers, they develop valuable leadership skills in communication, collaboration, problem-solving, public speaking, and project management. A key component of the fellowship is the capstone project, where ambassadors identify a student need, resource gap, or opportunity on their campus and develop a project that creates meaningful impact for their peers. Through this experience, students strengthen their ability to plan, collaborate with campus partners, implement solutions, and use their leadership skills to address challenges within their communities.

Ambassadors also build lasting connections through the Student Ambassador Alumni Network, creating opportunities for continued learning, mentorship, and professional growth beyond the program. It is very meaningful to watch them grow in confidence, advocate before state legislators, transfer to four-year universities, pursue advanced degrees, and begin meaningful careers. Through this fellowship, students not only connect their peers to resources, but also develop into leaders who create lasting change on their campuses and in their communities.

When students are empowered to lead, they become changemakers and a voice for others. They strengthen their campuses, expand access to essential resources, and create more equitable college communities.

In the video below, you can learn more about the program, its impact, and why investing in students as leaders is essential to the future of California’s community colleges.