Pair to bring relationship with Foundation, community

Kristin Werner and Diana Ramirez are candidates in the upcoming election for president and vice president of the Associated Student Government at Mt. Hood Community College. Both are currently members of ASG: Werner is the SAB (Student Activities Board) director and Ramirez is the ASG multi-cultural events coordinator.

Werner and Ramirez have broken their election goals into three categories: community engagement, diversity awareness and student life.

“I would like to work a little bit closer with the (MHCC) Foundation and get more involved on campus with other small businesses locally,” said Werner. “Just building that relationship (helps), whether that goes towards helping the school financially in the long term, or having a combination of financial aspect mixed with students in the workforce.”

The candidate team said they want the surrounding community to be aware of what Mt. Hood represents, and in turn help Mt. Hood to learn which businesses really exist in the college’s district. As an older student returning to school, Werner understands the problems students face when looking for jobs straight out of college, she said. Networking through internships and planning ahead before the student graduates can help bridge the unemployment gap that many fresh graduates face, she said.

Diversity awareness is not limited only to cultural diversity, the two said. Diversity also can center on age, sexual orientation, single parents and mixed families. Werner and Ramirez said they want Mt. Hood to be “a safe place for people.” Ramirez plans to bring her bi-cultural awareness to her vice presidency, as she feels herself pulled between Latino and American sides, at times.

Textbook affordability, childcare  and campus security are a few concerns Werner and Ramirez plan to improve in students’  lives, should they win.

“As students, we have to sometimes decide if we want to get food or if we want to get textbooks,” Ramirez said.

By registering to vote (in public elections), students can help raise awareness of the number of students in the area, Werner and Ramirez said. They plan to speak to professors about options for lowering book costs.

Werner’s leadership experience includes four-year high school varsity soccer captain, branch manager at US Bank, and operations manager at Key Bank. She has volunteered at Conejo Valley Parks and Recreation, working in the office and with children, and was the secretary of the Swing Dance Club at California State University Stanislaus.

Ramirez is involved at MHCC and, in addition to her multicultural work, has had a position as the (ASG) senator of advising and counseling and has been chair of the disciplinary committee. She earned the “Senator of the Year” award for her service. She oversees the night shift at her job at a residential care facility and has volunteered for Snow Cap Community Charities for the past five years.

The two candidates met on SAB and struck up a friendship since their desks were side-by-side. Less than a year later, they decided to run for office together.