Editor’s Note: In an earlier version of the story, a presidential candidate’s name was misspelled. The executive candidate’s correctly spelled name is Lateisha Williams.
With the future of student representation and a projected $1.38 million budget on the line, the Associated Students of Riverside City College held a town hall meeting featuring 2026-2027 candidates for senate and executive seats on Tuesday, May 5.
The event, held in the Bradshaw Hall of Fame, allowed the voting constituents to meet and secure better insight into the presidential, vice presidential and senate candidates one last time before voting closed on May 6.
ASRCC Candidates have noticeably campaigned in the previous weeks not only to encourage students to vote, but also to express why they should be voted for. The town hall gave the student body a direct look at the students vying to lead for the following academic year.
To better understand the policies of the candidates, the event featured a Q&A portion where candidates were given the opportunity to express their intentions if elected.
Although mostly returning members were running for senate positions, the focus of the event remained on the joint executive tickets for president and vice president, giving them exclusive questions to answer.
“I think every student undervalues just how important their voices are when it comes to making things happen at RCC,” Adrien Castillo said when asked why he was running for president. “The reason why I would like to become president is (that) at the senate level, there wasn’t much any of us could really do to make more meaningful impacts on campus, but in the presidential spot, I can actually make things happen.”
Alongside Castillo, his running vice president, Keyair White, has publicly expressed that one of the policies she intends to encourage is unity between clubs and culture on campus to improve student engagement.
“I want to be able to have more events where we show the uniqueness of each culture,” Keyair added. “We have so (many) unique students on this campus and I feel like we just lack unity and communication between culture clubs.”
Letiesha Williams and Aleida Hill are on the executive ticket as well and have a personal mission to fulfill.
When asked what set her apart from other candidates, Latiesha Williams stated, “Showing up, putting in the work, and going above and beyond.”
Williams’ and Hill’s campaign slogan is “Reset and Rise,” based on an idea of new chances to overcome personal obstacles and build resilience within the student body.
“Allowing ourselves to reset and rise to a better occasion and better standard of self, because if we grow from self, we can grow to help everyone else. But it all starts within,” presidential candidate Williams said. “I get up to serve. I want to show people that when you become a part of something meaningful, it makes school become better for you.”
Hill imagines the bigger picture of what it means to be in student government at RCC.
“I don’t just want the title, I want to be something bigger and I want to be here because I really love and I want to give everything I can to RCC,” Hill said.
As both a Hispanic and Black-Serving Institution and a veteran-friendly campus, Williams and Hill are making the push for inclusive representation a central theme of their campaign as well.
“Even in the face of adversity, you still need to prevail and people still need to get stuff done,” Hill said.
The voting window to elect senate and executive positions were open through May 5-6.
Results are yet to be posted, however they must be displayed on the official website and in a fully accessible location on campus once results are finalized.
