By: Sean Sosa
It’s no secret that CSI has many problems that affect all students. Joel de la Rosa, a candidate running for student body president, promises that he will do his best to solve them.
“My whole campaign is to help the clubs who helped me,” said Joel de la Rosa. “And project it where its available to more students.”
De la Rosa is currently a junior majoring in business management with minors in Spanish and accounting. He is running with fellow junior Yessica. De la Rosa said his campaign will focus on giving back to students and making people’s short time at CSI the most memorable experience.
De la Rosa is passionate about addressing the lack of communication and connection among students and professors. He said he has noticed how disconnected students are, a problem he believes can be addressed through clubs that welcome students, teach skills, build confidence and involve more students in campus life they miss out on by leaving immediately after class.
“There’s been a big disconnect since COVID, ” said De la Rosa. “I see that a lot where a lot of the students walk pass one another and don’t greet one another.”
He is a member of several campus organizations, including Dolphin Capital, the student-managed investment fund, and is a leading member of the Business Marketing Club. Through his involvement, he has built strong networking opportunities, which led to his nomination by fellow peers as a candidate for president.
De la Rosa is running for a number of reasons. One of his priorities is addressing the campus’s foremost issues.
One problem Joel said he will work to address is bus service. Many students commute by bus, and the only route that serves the campus is the S93. De la Rosa promises to ensure more buses pass through CSI to serve student commuters.
“I’ve been to two colleges, I’ve seen how different they are and I also started here being very doubtful,” said De la Rosa. “I was not confident when I came back for my second attempt of college.”
Joel returned to CSI after working various jobs and said he felt out of place compared with younger peers fresh out of high school. He said he did not feel smart enough to finish school but did not let that discourage him from connecting with and learning from teachers and students alike. He said the connections he has made have helped make him the man he is today, something he wants to give back by ensuring others have the same experience.
“I’m 28 so I’m a little bit more on the older side, but I have a lot of experience,” said De la Rosa. “I’ve seen what the world is like outside.”
Joel I completely feel ya brother. I graduated CSI in January (Bachelors Degree) and I was attending CSI from 2020 to 2025. When I began I was 35 years of age but that didn’t stop me from pursuing my dream and now I accomplished it brother, so can you! I would vote for you but I’m not a student anymore #AllTheBest #Bendiciónes