Courtesy of ASDVC Webpage

Guadalupe Lopez Villegas, the new president of Associated Students of Diablo Valley College, has a mission: to help students be seen, heard and informed. 

“I want the students to know everything that ASDVC is doing for them, because sometimes students just go to class, then go back home, and don’t really hear about everything that’s happening on campus,” Lopez said in a recent interview with The Inquirer.

As the school’s student governing body, elected by the students, ASDVC conducts public forums and mediates between students, administration and academic departments to address student concerns and inform them of academic changes impacting them.

“We connect the students [to the administration] and we talk to them about the issues that are affecting them… locally, state, and on a federal level,” said Lopez, a third-year business administration major.

In terms of campus policies, Lopez said, “if the students come up to us and say, ‘We want this,’ we try our best to make it happen.” 

She said she resonates with the ASDVC motto: “By the students, for the students.” Lopez cited a recent example from last semester when a student approached ASDVC to request that the school provide greater accessibility to menstrual products in campus bathrooms.

As a result, “now there are 20 new [menstrual product stations], both here and in San Ramon,” Lopez said. 

Other projects initiated by the governing body include the establishment of the food pantry, all-gender bathrooms, and Narcan training sessions.

In addition to helping students attending DVC, Lopez said there are “a million ways” students can benefit from joining ASDVC.

Among them, the organization offers leadership conferences and scholarships for its members to support their growth and professional development. 

“We definitely want to invest in the students that are getting involved within our campus,” Lopez said. “It’s like a network, you’re here with students who have the same passions, values and motivation as you.” 

She added that ASDVC has a role for everybody, and that all members are productive and helpful in their own way.

“Any major, any background, any age: there’s a position for anyone,” Lopez said.

Lopez noted that her personal experience with student government has led to many leadership opportunities.

 “When you’re the president, so many doors open for you because there’s so many levels of communication that you hold within campus.” 

As ASDVC president, Lopez bridges the gap between the administration and the students, holding monthly meetings with DVC President Susan Lamb to stay updated on the progress of administrative projects and internal affairs within the college.

But her work ethic and position didn’t happen overnight. Lopez worked hard to get to where she is now, and faced challenges along the way. 

Lopez’s story

Lopez said she initially experienced some anxiety when she entered student government, due to missing the first couple of meetings. But she stuck with it, and said ASDVC helped her come out of her bubble and become more extroverted as she made connections with students, staff and organizations.

“I wasn’t aware that I was capable of that [change],” she said, and it made her ask herself: “I wonder what else I’m capable of.”

Lopez described especially the positive impact of participating in ASDVC’s trip in 2023 to Washington, DC, where she met the late California senator, Dianne Feinstein, and advocated for DACA and Dreamers.   

“I [got] the opportunity to speak with Senator Feinstein,” Lopez recalled. “I cannot even explain how pivotal that point was for my life—it was life-changing.”

Reflecting on the history that led her to that moment, she added, “I spoke to [Feinstein] personally about DACA and Dreamers, and it was so surreal, it’s just so emotional to think that by walking into that [first ASDVC meeting] somehow led to me talking to a senator.” 

Lopez said she hopes others also can gain from her lesson.

“That little action of me saying, ‘You know what, I’m going to see what ASDVC is about,’ led me to that congressional visit,” Lopez said. 

“If I can help [others] reach the point that I have reached since I’ve been here, I would love to see students find out who they are, and grow as [people].”

Tackling challenges

Although Lopez said she has learned a lot, she admits she still has room to grow in regard to managing her time and priorities. 

Specifically, she cited the challenges of balancing her leadership position with schoolwork, a job and family life. Last semester, she worked before school at a barista job that started at four in the morning. This made it difficult for her to manage her time but also taught her discipline and work ethic. 

She said her passion for connecting with students and making a positive impact on their lives was worth the lack of sleep.

Looking ahead, Lopez said she aims to connect more with San Ramon students and ensure they have access to the same opportunities and resources of DVC students on the Pleasant Hill campus. 

Lopez and her team are currently working on advocating for halal food options on campus and fostering connections with international students.

Lopez highlighted the importance of student perspectives in the school’s decision-making and in helping bring about improvements to student life on campus, and encouraged students to join and take advantage of the opportunities ASDVC offers.

She recalled her favorite memory from the ASDVC trip to Washington, DC, last year, when she was “standing in that room, talking, thinking about everyone that I’m representing and everyone that is being affected by the things I’m saying, [and] I think, ‘Oh my God, I did that.’”

“I think that’s huge for our students to know that you do have a spot in decision-making,” Lopez added. “You have a spot in absolutely everything that’s going on our campus.”