Aug. 27, 2015
Gov. Jay Inslee appoints student Yazmin Aguilar to Board of Trustees
Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Yazmin Aguilar to serve as student trustee at CWU for the 2015-16 academic year.
Aguilar is a junior at CWU in Ellensburg where she’s double majoring in Spanish and social services. The 2012 Pasco High School graduate is a member of the William O. Douglas Honors College and was accepted to CWU’s new Chavez-King Leadership Institute as part of its first cohort for 2015-16.
In her appointment letter, Inslee asked Aguilar to take personal responsibility for making sure the board operates with transparency and responsiveness.
“I can't wait to get started,” Aguilar said. “I applied to become part of the Board of Trustees because I want to be the voice for every student. I feel the need to give back to my community and especially to this beautiful campus that has opened its doors to me with amazing opportunities.”
Being able to attend CWU is a dream come true, said Aguilar, who was born in Mexico and moved to the United States when she was 9.
“Throughout my college career I’ve faced many challenges. One of them has always been my status as an underrepresented minority student,” she said. “I consider myself a leader and also a follower. I’ve learned to advocate not only for myself but also for those around me.”
After graduating from CWU she plans to pursue a master’s degree in public health with a focus on epidemiology.
All of the state‘s six public baccalaureate institutions have a student seat on their governing bodies. The student trustees serve one-year terms and are full voting members on all issues except matters relating to hiring or discipline of personnel, tenure of faculty, and collective bargaining agreements.
Aguilar’s term ends June 30, 2016.
“I feel eager to learn from the seven members of the board,” she said. “I look forward to working with them and to also give the best of me.”
Media contact: Barb Arnott, CWU Public Affairs, 509-963-2841, barnott@cwu.edu
August 26, 2015