Lucy Montano, candidate for ASI vice president, said she believes “education [is] the most important thing in someone’s life” and is running to make sure students’ needs are met so they can get the best education possible.
Montano is a liberal studies major and is currently the AS Senator for the College of Education. Her experience includes being the chairwoman of the Governmental Affairs Committee, Isabel Patterson Child Development Center (IPCDC) Board of Trustees, College of Education Strategic Planning Committee and Instructional Related Activity Fee Advisory Committee (IRA) and president of Association for Future Educators.
She said she knows people may be thinking she cannot do the job because she is a liberal studies major and is not a politician, but she assured that her passion and commitment to learning about the issues will make her a good vice president if elected.
“Because I’m not a politician, I won’t pretend to be someone I’m not,” Montano said. “I’m one of [the students] and have so much passion.”
Montano’s four major platform goals are promoting “student success,” making sure the Senate meets the “student’s needs,” actively engaging with the university and “fighting for affordable education and textbooks” as outlined on her campaign flyers.
Since Montano believes education is an important part in people’s lives, she said she wants to “fill the gap between students, family and the university” to make students stay turned on to education. Montano said she realizes how students may often feel they can’t handle school, and she wants to create changes to help erase that feeling.
“It hurts to know people left [school] because they felt uncomfortable. I want to make sure they feel [CSULB] is their second home,” Montano said.
To accomplish this goal, Montano said she plans to conduct research to find out how the gap could be closed and to see what students want. Also, Montano said she believes there should be a two-way open communication system between students and professors to strengthen the class relationships. Of the four goals, she believes closing the gap will be the hardest to accomplish in a year because research and money may be needed to accomplish it. But she said it will at least be put on the table, and she will “push it forward.”
To make sure the Senate is “an active listener of students’ needs,” Montano said she wants to create a board where its senator-to-senator communication on what they should be working on to meet the needs of students. She wants to “make sure senators do research” and not only speak in “I” terms when discussing an issue, but to actually speak on the behalf of students.
Additionally, she wants to make sure students know who the Senate is because it is a “big key to know who they are,” Montano said. She wants to see senators “do more than just sit in office hours” but “go out and ask people what they feel,” she said.
Lastly, Montano said she will make sure fees stay the same and maybe offer more options for textbooks. She said she will work with 49er Shops when other options are being looked at so both students and the 49er Shops benefit.
If elected, she said she will represent the students.
“I am one of you,” she said. “I will try to do everything I’m going to do,” Montano added, saying three of her four goals can definitely be accomplished.
“Go out and vote. It’s your money. It’s your campus,” she said.
