February 3, 2016

 

New Students Officers Sworn In

Two new student representatives were sworn in as President and Vice-President of the Associated Students of Diné College (ASDC), the student body government organization.

President - Mr. Aaron Lee
Aaron Lee is the newly elected President. He is Tobacco-Red Running into the Water People clan, born for Red Running into the Water People clan.  His maternal clan is Deer Springs People and his paternal clan is Water Near the Edge People.  He is from Low Mountain, AZ, but was raised in Crystal, NM.  He is a proud Marine Corps Veteran. Aaron is a transfer student seeking an Associate's in Social Behavioral Science.

Aaron chose Diné College in 2014 with a profound purpose, "I returned home because I felt I lost my identity as a Navajo. Learning to implement Sa'ah Naaghai Bik'eh Hoozhoon (SNBH), not only in my courses, but also in my life, has helped me redirect my path to positivity and wellness. I have three children, and a phenomenal wife who is also a full time student here." 

As President, Aaron plans to help increase and improve retention rates at the College.  He will continue to strongly encourage all his student-colleagues to get involved with clubs and extra-curricular activities as a way to promote engagement and improve retention. Aaron also plans to be a strong advocate for improving child-care opportunities for student-parents.  He will push for the revamping of the e-Campus Bookstore.  He also plans to advocate for increased access to the library and the creation of a 24-hour student center for homework and research. Aaron is a strong safety advocate and would like to see the placement of solar-powered light posts and speed limit cameras throughout campus to encourage increased safety. Lastly, he will use his position to encourage the "revival and renewal" of the Warrior Athletic Department in an effort to recruit top athletes to the College. 
 
Vice-President - Ms. Nicole Yazzie

Nicole Yazzie is the newly elected Vice-President.  Her clans are Bitter Water, born for Coyote Pass.  Her maternal clan is Water Flowing Together and her paternal clan is Black Sheep clan.  She is from Chinle, AZ and is in her fourth semester in the 2-year Social and Behavioral Science program.

Nicole chose to run for ASDC office "to take part in student interaction - T'aa Ho'Ajit T'eego."  She plans to be a vocal advocate for her fellow students in addressing concerns and problems.  Nicole also plans to use her position to promote club interactions and leading overall student community engagement. Nicole feels that she understands the challenges that her fellow students face.  She feels that in her position as Vice-President, she will have the opportunity to be the voice of change on behalf of students when dealing with transportation, weather conditions, cafeteria prices, student activities, customer service concerns and low student engagement. 

Nicole has been an active member of the College community.  She was the first runner up in the Miss Diné College Pageant last fall and continues to be a committee member and a partner in many of the public Miss DC events. She also comes into this office with advocacy experience.  She is an active member of the newly created Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) club on campus. She also created a Diné College Textbook Sale Group that filled a void in helping students get the books they needed for classes at a fraction of the rate of new books.