Student Government President Angel Delker Reflects on her Presidency
Through her tireless advocacy for equity and social justice for women, undocumented students, veterans and students of color, Angel Delker, President of South Seattle College’s 2017-2018 United Student Association (USA), has undoubtedly left her mark on South’s campus community. Born in Seattle, Angel dropped out of high school at 17 to care for her child. Then in 2014, she started taking classes at South to complete her high school diploma. After earning her diploma, she decided to continue her education to obtain her Associate of Arts degree.
In 2017, Angel was elected as the student government president for South. Since then, she has organized student forums, established the Clean Air Task Force, expanded the campus food pantry to offer fresh produce, and represented students on the college president’s hiring committees. In addition, Angel is a member of TRIO and the Latinx Union. Angel will be attending the University of Washington, School of Welfare this fall.
We caught up with Angel at the end of Spring Quarter to ask about her time in office, her proudest accomplishments and future plans.
Q: Why did you decide to run for USA President?
A: I’ve wanted be in student government ever since I was in high school, but I never had the courage to get involved because I have a learning disability and was insecure about speaking in public. That was my biggest fear, but something last year told me to apply. I knew I wanted to make a difference. And particularly as a woman of color, I wanted to inspire other women of color to run for these positions and make a change on our campus.
It’s been amazing getting to know the campus community and getting to understand how our campus works. Becoming president has also inspired me to pursue a career in higher education.
Q: What projects did your team get to accomplish during your time in office?
A: This year we were very focused on supporting our DACA students and establishing a Clean Air Task Force to evaluate smoking on campus. I grew up in the Latinx community and I know a lot of friends that are undocumented, so the moment I heard that DACA was no longer going to be available I knew I had to take action. I knew I had to educate my team on what DACA was and why it’s important.
A: Our USA team rallied in Olympia to bring attention to our DACA students. We brought DACA students with us to the capitol who were able to tell legislators their stories, and fought for legislation that would allow students in higher education to stay. To hear our DACA students tell their stories, to hear them talk about their struggles and where they came from…it was a moment when you realize just how much privilege you have. They are still fighting for their rights, and we need to be their allies.
During the year, we worked really hard to get as much information as we could to the campus community. Our event, “Undocumented Unafraid,” helped a lot of students get the information they needed. We told them how they could reapply for DACA, how to inform their families about their rights and about scholarship opportunities that are available to undocumented students.
Q: What was your experience establishing the Clean Air Task Force?
A: Many have tried to ban smoking on our campus, but we were the first USA team to create a committee about this issue, the Clean Air Task Force. Our team even reached out to North Seattle College to ask what their process was to ban smoking on their campus. Now we have a committee which will continue to work throughout the summer. Our goal is that by 2019 we will have a smoke-free campus.
A: My favorite experience was being able to create change and talk about issues I am passionate about like sexual assault, homelessness on campus, immigration rights, people of color and Black Lives Matter. Getting the opportunity to educate our campus community on these issues has been a great experience.
Another thing I am proud of was the food pantry on campus. I’ve really pushed the pantry to bring in more fresh produce and healthier options. I felt that if we were going to tackle hunger on campus, it’s our responsibility to provide healthier options to students who really need the support.
Q: Why do you enjoy learning and working at South?
A: I’ve been at South now for four years, I actually started out in the Adult Basic Education program. I love the community here, and am thankful for resources like the Center for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity and Club Center. I didn’t grow up with a lot of support from my family, so to be able to get that here and have faculty and staff encourage me to move forward with my goals was beautiful for me.
Q: Why do you think USA is important on campus?
A: It’s important for students to be represented on their campus. Student government is the best way to tackle issues that students care about. I’ve built so many relationships with students this year, and they’ve told me their stories of struggle and how we can help make their college experience better.