Student Leadership Institute Helps Students Advocate for Change

When Shann Davis was in high school, his grades “weren’t the best,” and he was more focused on football than academics. His father encouraged him to go to college, but Shann didn’t have specific goals. A counselor from Mira Costa College in Oceanside reached out to the Black Student Union at Shann’s high school, informing them about a dual enrollment program that would allow students to earn college credits while they were still in high school. Participating in the program was Shann’s first taste of college life.  

After graduating high school and taking a semester off, Shann returned to Mira Costa, where he found community and leadership opportunities.  

“Seeing people [in leadership roles] that looked like me—men of color—was important,” he says. 

Shann began to consider his own leadership potential. He helped plan a conference hosted by Mira Costa’s Black Student Union, and organized a vendor and resource fair for a Black Alliance block party.  

And when he discovered the Campaign for College Opportunity on Instagram, he learned about the Student Leadership Institute (SLI) and decided to apply. 

Launched in 2012 as the Community College Completion Corps, and then re-envisioned as the Student Ambassadors Program in 2017, the Student Leadership Institute has grown into a transformative experience for dozens of California’s remarkable student-leaders. SLI is a paid opportunity that supports an annual cohort of diverse and driven students from across the California Community Colleges, California State University, and University of California as they build skills in leadership and advocacy, engage with the higher education policy process, create a professional network, and advocate for issues that impact them.   

As an organization that champions student-centered policies, the Campaign continues to develop the SLI program to ensure that student voices are well represented in decision-making about their own education. Our student leaders get a chance to participate in advocacy events and speak at meetings of college governing boards. 

Shann said SLI has taught him “how to advocate better for first generation and marginalized students. I’ve learned what they are facing at community colleges. I also used the Campaign’s reports to create resolutions and highlight where problems are on campus.” 

Now, as Shann prepares to receive a dual Associate Degree for Transfer in Sociology and Theater Arts, and transfer to CSU Dominguez Hills, ideas for future leadership and service to his community abound. He is considering a career in counseling, in the justice system, or in the arts—or something that combines his multiple passions. He hopes to get a PhD eventually. 

Spearheaded by State and Student Affairs Manager Vincent Rasso, SLI continues to inspire the next generation of student-leaders and advocates for education equity. An alumnus of the SLI program himself, Vincent is a first-generation graduate from the University of California, Riverside, where he participated in the 2019-2020 SLI cohort while serving as Director of Undergraduate Government Relations.  

“As a student-leader on my campus advocating for many different issues, SLI truly gave me a strategic and comprehensive perspective on how to maximize my impact in policy spaces,” Vincent says.  

“The rewarding leadership skills I gained propelled and prepared me to be elected Vice President of External Affairs at UCR and Chair of our systemwide UC Student Association, both during the pandemic, which allowed me to lead student-centered statewide policy responses and financial aid advocacy with the expertise I gained from SLI.”  

Coming full circle, Vincent joined the Campaign to lead student engagement, supporting students like himself through SLI, where he has grown the program to incorporate professional development and direct mentorship support.  

 
Luz Toribio is another member of the 2023-2024 SLI cohort. Like Shann, she knew that college was supposed to be good for her future, but she didn’t know why, exactly, let alone how to apply and pay for tuition. The oldest of eight children, she became the first in her family to go to college when she enrolled at Madera Community College. Now she is on the cusp of graduating from Fresno State and pursuing a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration and Leadership.  

At Fresno State, she found community and a passion for empowering students from marginalized backgrounds, especially Latinx, undocumented, and other diverse communities across the Central Valley. She credits SLI with giving her the tools she needed to start a club for undocumented students and allies.  

“That was something I wanted to do but didn’t have the courage or mindset to do right away,” Luz says. “It’s important to come together and speak truth and be yourself. I want to build a community, but also advocate for our rights.” 

SLI has also resonated with donors. Dan Schnur recently supported the program via the Baye Foundation. 

“We are huge fans of the work that the Campaign for College Opportunity does to help deserving young people, but perhaps no project is more important than their Student Leadership Institute,” Dan said. “These young people will be tomorrow’s leaders, and an essential part of preparing them for college is helping them develop the skills needed not just to earn a degree but help shape our communities and our country over the course of their lives.” 

The donation also made possible an arts outing for the graduating SLI cohort; it is a celebration of their work, as well as an opportunity to expand their cultural horizons. 

“These students are learning to succeed in the classroom, but we also want them to have the opportunity to learn about the arts and culture that shape a society,” Dan says. “These amazing young people deserve the chance to be exposed to the most creative artistic voices and thoughts so that they can integrate these perspectives into their own visions for the future.”

In June 2024, the 2023-24 Student Leadership cohort celebrated with a graduation in downtown Los Angeles, joined by President Michele Siqueiros, Assemblymember Eloise Gomez-Reyes, and Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes. The culminating celebration of this 9-month program included rewarding this cohort of students for deepening their higher education equity and policy knowledge and going on to continue this work in master’s programs, transferring to four year universities, or advocating as student trustees.

If you are interested in making a donation to support SLI, please contact Raquel Gonzalez at raquel@collegecampaign.org. If you are a student who is interested in participating in next year’s cohort, please visit our website.