Being a student and holding an important leadership role can be very challenging, but Jonathan Leong, the Associated Students of Cosumnes River College Senate President, is determined to succeed.

 Leong is a part-time student and majors in business administration. He said he is aware that being both a student and ASCRC President is going to require a lot of him.

“I know he must sacrifice some sleep at times, but he hardly ever complains,” said Student Senate Secretary Katherine Mendoza. “That just shows how passionate he is about being Student Senate President.”

Leong said that the student senate has been lacking severely due to board positions being completely empty last year. He said he and other senate members are going to change that this year by reaching out for more students to join them. 

“He’s not only passionate, but he has a vision,” said Oscar Mendoza Plascencia, the supervisor of the Student Life and Leadership Center. “One thing he really wants is for students to be served.”

Leong was one of the students involved in the “Home for Hawks” project, a housing resource that addresses student homelessness on campus. The project began in fall 2018 by the Peer Mentoring Program.

 “One of the projects that Jonathan and a couple students created was ‘Home for Hawks,’” said Mendoza Plascencia. “That’s something they came up with based on needs that they saw.”

As a peer mentor, Leong was responsible for supporting his mentees and making sure they are successful at Cosumnes River College. He said that joining the Peer Mentoring Program impacted him the most.

“I was the quiet kid in class,” said Leong. “I didn’t really feel like I could make an impact, but the Peer Mentor Program made me feel like I was important.”

Leong said he believes that all students on campus should be served. Leong said he wants the students to feel like their voice is important because it really is.

“He is really compassionate,” said Student Senate Member Megha Khanna. “He really cares about the people around him and wants to make a change for the betterment of the society we live in.”

Now that Leong has taken on a role as a leader of a community college, he said he wants to not only make students on campus feel special but to also make his senate team members feel the same. 

Leong said he believes that working closely with his senate members is important so that they can be successful as a whole. He said his current goal is to focus on supporting his senate members and be there to the best of his ability. 

“A good leader is someone who is there with their colleagues or with the people they are serving,” said Leong. “It’s about leading with the group.”

Leong said he enjoys to stay on campus after his classes to continue working on his projects and help his adviser, Mendoza Plascencia, with anything he needs. He treats his role as a real job and doesn’t mind the extra work, said Mendoza Plascencia.  

“Jonathan is like Buzz Lightyear,” said Khanna. “He goes to infinity and beyond with anything he decides to do.”